PROJECTS awarded through direct negotiations by the Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional administrations should also come under scrutiny, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said.

It was unfair of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki to only single out projects awarded by Pakatan Harapan.

“Azam never mentioned MACC would also analyse tenders awarded through direct negotiation under PN and BN. He only said MACC would analyse all such projects awarded by PH for elements of corruption.

“How can Azam claim to uphold fairness if MACC does not also analyse direct negotiation tenders by BN and PN for elements of corruption?

“By only probing into the projects under PH, MACC is showing it practises double standards,” Lim said in a statement.

The Bagan MP was responding to the MACC chief’s remarks recently that the anti-graft body had yet to open any investigation paper into projects awarded through direct negotiation during the PH government’s tenure.

Azam said this was because MACC was still studying the projects for elements of corruption.

PH is said to have awarded a total of 101 projects worth RM6.61 billion through direct negotiations while it was in federal power for 22 months.

The claim was made by Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz in the Dewan Rakyat last month.

PH politicians, however, have taken his figures to task, saying the bulk of projects were awarded by the BN government previously, and were continued by PH but renegotiated to lower costs.

Lim said of the total claimed by Tengku Zafrul, PH was only responsible for RM352 million worth of new direct negotiation projects during its tenure.

Lim also took Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin to task for trying to blame the PH cabinet for a 10% reduction in the cost of the Taman Beringin Solid Waste project approved under BN.

He said Zuraida was trying to use this to show that Lim, who was finance minister in the PH government, had been involved in direct negotiations, while claiming she as the minister had no knowledge of the project’s approval. 

“Zuraida should speak the truth as she herself was present at the cabinet meeting when the decision to slash the price of the BN contract by 10% was made so as to save government funds.

“She should not hide behind the MACC and instead reveal all the letters on the project between her ministry’s secretary-general and the finance ministry.”

Lim said there was no way Zuraida could not have known about the project, which costs RM170.3 million.

“If it is true the application for the project was made without her knowledge, then disciplinary action should be taken against the ministry secretary-general.” – September 4, 2020.