5G agency DNB could be the next 1MDB, warns Anwar

 

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has spoken of the possibility of leakages and corruption over the appointment of DNB. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: The lack of transparency behind the rollout of 5G mobile technology through Digital Nasional Bhd has the potential to evolve into a scandal that is as big as 1MDB, Anwar Ibrahim has warned.

In a video released today, he raised the possibility of corruption and leakages taking place “and a new scandal will emerge that could be similar to or bigger than 1MDB”, the government investment arm which has been roiled in a multi-billion ringgit scandal involving money laundering, fraud, and illegal transfers of funds.

Anwar said there was no clear “strategy, tender or transparency” despite the rollout of the 5G technology being hyped up as important. He alleged that there were links to several political leaders in a secret award of contracts.

Anwar said the opposition would continue to speak out against the manner in which the contract had been awarded and expose the truth behind the deal including the actual cost of the project or parties which had vested interests in it.

“Don’t make a fool of the rakyat during such trying times,” he said.

In July, DNB announced that it had appointed the Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson to design and build the national 5G network at a total cost of RM11 billion. The company will supply, deliver and manage the entire 5G network

Anwar was reiterating a warning he made at the Dewan Rakyat last week where he was reported to have said that the DNB affair “is almost as big as 1MDB. I want to remind the minister that if a mistake is made, it will end up like 1MDB in court”.

Anwar, who is Port Dickson MP, said the government must be more transparent, especially since the decision to award the contract was made during the state of emergency.

“We had the impression that the Emergency was meant to protect the people (from contracting Covid-19), but it looks like it was also used as a guise to reap profits.”

The claim of a unilateral decision was made by deputy communications and multimedia minister Zahidi Zainul Abidin on Thursday. He said his ministry was not included in discussions and that the decision was made by the finance ministry.

However, finance minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz has dismissed the claims, adding that the communications and multimedia ministry had been involved in the process of planning for a national 5G network since 2019.

DNB, a government agency, has been tasked with building and managing the entire 5G telecommunications network but has run into problems with poor take-up by mobile phone companies.

In announcing the appointment of Ericsson in July, DNB said the estimated RM11 billion cost to design, build and maintain the 5G network was “around RM700 million lower than the total cost of ownership of the next closest bid”. - FMT