Bersatu alleges major kickbacks in flood mitigation projects

 

Activists from Bersatu have lodged a police report claiming that millions in kickbacks were being paid out to secure flood mitigation projects.

Bersatu information committee member Badrul Hisham Shaharin alleged that this had led to a significant hike in costs.

He said the government had in November last year cancelled RM7 billion in contracts for flood mitigation works which were reportedly awarded via direct tender by the previous administration, to review them.

The RM7 billion was part of RM15 billion allocated for such projects.

Badrul Hisham (above), who is better known as Chegubard, alleged that despite claiming the review would lead to reduced cost, the allocation for flood mitigation projects ballooned to over RM16 billion.

"The cost increased because they had to pay bribes," he claimed during a press conference after the report was lodged by another Bersatu member at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters today.

He claimed the bribes were paid under the guise of being negotiation fees, which would be channelled through law firms to dubious recipients.

On social media, he alleged that recipients included proxies for the minister - believed to be referring to Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

One of the recipients in a flood mitigation project, he alleged, was a driver who worked for a local council in Selangor, while another was a cosmetics company.

He claimed the driver was also involved in a hospital project.

Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad

Meanwhile, another piece of evidence Badrul Hisham cited was a leaked letter in April from Nik Nazmi - then the natural resources, environment and climate change minister - to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Badrul Hisham claimed the letter showed Nik Nazmi asking Anwar to approve tenders via direct negotiation.

However, a check on the letter cited showed that in the title itself, the letter was a proposal for an open tender on flood mitigation projects.

Nik Nazmi's office had lodged a police report on the leak in May, after it was also cited as alleged evidence of contracts being given via direct tender.