JEPAK Holdings Sdn Bhd, the Sarawak company at the centre of of a controversial deal to scam to outfit 369 schools in the state’s interior to use solar energy, has denied any wrongdoing and said the contract is “ongoing” and above board.

Its managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin disputed the claims by Sarawak Report that the project should have been completed within 18 months when it was directly awarded to the company in 2015.

The UK-based portal claimed former prime minister Najib Razak signed off on the RM1.25 billion project, which had now dragged on for three years and not a single solar unit had been installed.

Saidi, who said the company is now consulting its lawyers on what legal action it could take on the “damaging” report, told The Malaysian Insight that the project had been delayed and the Education Ministry is aware of it.

He said the report on the project is “based on lies” and the company plans to seek legal reparations.

“It’s an article based on lies, baseless and meant to damage my reputation as a businessman.”

Saidi admitted that the contract was secured through direct negotiation with the previous federal government but said the project cost was only RM750 million and not RM1.2 billion as claimed by Sarawak Report.

The company, which started as a car rental company but had since diversified into transportation and support services to the oil and gas industry, was awarded the contract in 2015.

Saidi said the project, targeted to be completed by 2020, was supposed to start last year.

He said the delay was due to incomplete feasibility study and the final approval of the solar drawings from the Education Ministry and the Public Works Department had not been given.

Saidi defended the company’s role, saying the cost to outfit the schools was cheaper than the cost of a similar project in Sabah which covered only 176 schools.

“The solar energy project is ongoing and there’s nothing illegal about directly negotiated contracts.

“We have made no claims to the ministry on the project. In fact the ministry is owing us some RM201 million for five months supply of diesel to the schools,” he said referring to another multi-million ringgit contract the Education Ministry had awarded the company.

Saidi said his company is still in deep discussion with the ministry on the project.

“I’m ready to face any investigations concerning the allegations. The ministry, JKR, the police or even the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

“I’m not running away. I won’t run away.”

Sarawak Report claimed Saidi had gotten the contracts from his contacts with Najib’s wife Rosmah Mansor and the former prime minister was reported to have bypassed regular procedures at the ministry so that the project was awarded directly. – June 11, 2018.