MULTI-BILLION-ringgit projects are being sanctioned hastily by the caretaker government as the country nears its coming general election, PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli said today. 

At an afternoon press conference, Rafizi said the caretaker government should not be giving out projects, and such tenders should only be awarded by the new government after GE15. 

He said that one of the cases that was brought to his attention involved the Ministry of Environment and Water helmed by PAS lawmaker Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man. 

“Over the past few weeks, I have been informed that there are efforts to approve projects worth billions of ringgit immediately without following the Treasury Department procedures which have been set by the Ministry of Finance. 

“The information I have obtained so far indicates that there is a project currently underway and is to be given immediate approval through direct negotiation even during the ‘caretaker government’ period. 

“Based on my research, there are two projects that are currently being handled by the ministry, with one company linked to Umno. 

“I can also reveal that the ministry under Tuan Ibrahim has awarded a tender worth RM578.6 million to Mangkubumi Sdn Bhd for works to upgrade the Krubong-Durian Tunggal flood mitigation pool in a limited (or selective) tender under the Jana Wibawa program,” he said. 

According to Rafizi, the mitigation pool upgrade works were announced by caretaker PM Ismail Sabri Yaakob and the Jana Wibawa programme was created under Muhyiddin Yassin’s tenure as prime minister. 

“I will touch more on the Jana Wibawa programme in my next press conference,” he said. 

Rafizi added that he was told by an insider that Tuan Ibrahim’s ministry was in the process of awarding another project worth RM2 billion to Mangkubumi Sdn Bhd — the same company that was awarded the Krubong-Durian Tunggal flood mitigation pool project. 

“This RM2 billion project is for the Sungai Langat flood mitigation plan. What I found was that Mangkubumi Sdn Bhd is a company that did not file an audited financial statement as the company chose to become an “exempt company” as its status. 

“This company has had two bankruptcy petition cases in court due to non-payment of debts to contractors as recorded by the Companies Commission of Malaysia. 

“The company also owes RM144 million to financial institutions according to records kept by Companies Commission of Malaysia and further review of the owner Zainuddin Karjan shows that he is a figure close to Umno and has made profits from government projects,” said Rafizi. 

The candidate for the Pandan parlisamentary seat told the press that Zainuddin was an advisor to the Putra 1Malaysia Club — a club established by Umno MP Azeez Rahim. 

He added that Mangkubumi had received billions of government projects in 2016 as reported by the media.  

“Mangkubumi Sdn Bhd was the company investigated and named as one of the companies that had transferred money to Azeez Rahim in the alleged corruption and money laundering case amounting to RM139 million. The case was charged in court in 2019,” he said. 

Rafizi then urged Tuan Ibrahim to come clean on the matter if it was true that the project was given to an Umno-linked company during the transition period. 

“Tuan Ibrahim has to answer if this project was given through direct negotiation during the caretaker government period. 

“If this matter is not true, he has to come up with a statement that this project will not be awarded through direct negotiation and any decision must be made by the new government,” he added. – November 7, 2022.