Putrajaya releases details of 101 direct award contracts

Putrajaya has released full details of the 101 government contracts that were awarded by the Pakatan Harapan administration without an open tender.

In a statement today, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said direct awards were allowed under the Financial Procedure Act 1957 and by the Treasury rules.

He explained that such contracts are allowed under five specific circumstances:

• Emergency services which if delayed could disrupt services or affect national interest.
• Ensuring uniformity to ensure compatibility between existing equipment and newly-acquired equipment.
• Where a service or supply only has one source.
• Matters concerning national security or strategic interest.
• A contract involving a bumiputera manufacturer which complies with requirements.

The Transport Ministry topped the list by quantum. Among the directly-negotiated contracts are for the hosting the Langkawi International Maritime Aerospace Exhibition 2019 (Lima '19), renewal of services for a flight recorder laboratory by the ministry's Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), printer toner supplies, and Phase 2 of the Klang Valley double-tracking project.

Examples of "emergency" contracts included three catering contracts sought by the Home Ministry to provide halal food for police personnel stationed at the Sri Maha Mariamman in USJ, Selangor, which was the site of civil unrest in late November 2018 and the protest against the International Convention to Eliminate Racial Discrimination (Icerd).

Those three contracts amounted to RM498,871.70.

Contracts for specialised services included the RM29.9 million bill picked up by the Communications and Multimedia Ministry for the rights to broadcast the Fifa World Cup in 2018.

These direct award contracts would have been requested by specific ministries and signed off by the finance minister who was Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng at the material time.

Interestingly, Lim signed off on the Economic Affairs Ministry's request to purchase a book titled A Better World Volume 5: Actions and Commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals.

It is unsure from the list if the ministry acquired multiple copies of the book or just a single book. The total amount paid for this procurement was RM21,022.86.

The book on the UN's sustainable development goals can be viewed for free online. - Mkini