EVIL NAJIB REGIME ‘RAPED’ EVEN THE ILL & SICKLY? BOMBSHELL – UMNO, 1MDB APPOINTEES PART OF PHARMA CARTEL, CLAIMS KLANG MP: ‘FOR WHAT DO WE NEED TENDERING AGENTS WHEN THERE IS ALREADY A PHARMACY DEPT TO PROCURE MEDICINE?’

Umno members and 1MDB political appointees were among tender agents in a pharmaceutical drug cartel which had a monopoly on the supply of medicine to the government, claimed Klang MP Charles Santiago (above).

Their names were in a list that the DAP lawmaker submitted to the MACC for investigations today.

“There are a lot of Umno names here and if you heard some of these names, you would get very upset because they have been involved in previous corruption cases in the country,” Charles told reporters after lodging a report at the MACC headquarters.

Charles, however, declined to reveal who these individuals were.

Previously it was reported that a group of 20 companies with links to prominent politicians, including a former minister, had control of the medicine supply chain by acting as “tendering agents” for international pharmaceutical firms.

They had reportedly secured contracts worth RM3.7 billion between 2013 and 2016.

Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said a government taskforce on monopolies will be looking into this particular case.

Charles urged the government to explain the purpose of a “tendering agent” when there is a pharmacy department that is able to procure medicine.

He said the monopoly held by these “tendering agents” had eroded the public’s access to affordable medicine.

“We do not have a comprehensive drug pricing policy in this country and we have these ‘tendering agents’ who are taking away your right to affordable medicine,” he said.

He said compared to other countries, the price of medicine is 30 to 148 percent higher in Malaysia after taking into consideration the exchange rate.

Santiago said in the past, the previous BN government had often dismissed discussions on affordable medicine when he raised the matter in Parliament.

– M’kini