DIRECT negotiations under Pakatan Harapan during its 22 months in power amounted to only RM352 million, said Lim Guan Eng.

The former finance minister said this after Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz’s disclosure yesterday that PH paid RM6.61 billion in direct negotiations for 101 projects.

In a press conference this morning, Lim branded Tengku Zafrul as a liar, before saying that most of the direct-negotiation projects were from previous deal under the Barisan Nasional administration.

“The direct negotiations by Pakatan Harapan was just 0.07% or RM352 million. Not RM6.61 billion as alleged by Tengku Zafrul.

“Most of the direct negotiations were not by PH but inherited from BN. The difference is we continued the projects but we cut the cost of the projects and we managed to save a lot of money,” Lim said.

“In other words, 99.93% projects were made through open tenders and not direct negotiations. It is clear that Tengku Zafrul is lying when he said that PH had sanctioned RM6.61 billion through direct negotiations.”

The direct negotiations under PH were done according to the financial procurement procedures and approved by the cabinet, said Lim.

He also disclosed that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and several other lawmakers who defected to Perikatan Nasional had asked for direct-negotiation projects when they were part of PH.

“Muhyiddin when he was the home minister asked for RM517.7 million. Zuraida Kamaruddin (housing and local government minister) asked for RM170.8 million. Economic affairs minister Azmin Ali, RM1.2 million and Rina Harun when she was the minister of rural development asked for RM7.36 million.”

All of the direct negotiation projects, such as the double-tracking project, were approved in a cabinet meeting, he said.

“Either the ministers who are now part of PN were asleep during the meeting or they were busy handling the Sheraton move,” the Bagan MP added.

Lim then challenged Tengku Zafrul to reveal all the direct-negotiation projects from the BN era as well as under PN.– August 27, 2020.