LAWYER Shamsher Singh Thind alleges that his Facebook post on Asia Mobility Technologies Sdn Bhd (Asia Mobiliti) was blocked by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
Shamsher is questioning if Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching was involved as she had defended Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh against alleged nepotism in the Demand Responsive Transit (DRT) programme involving the company linked to her husband.
“My post has been blocked in Malaysia. DAP always talks about open tenders, so of course I asked what was open about the DRT scandal as there was no tender. Was that wrong?
“I know, Teo, you strongly defended Yeoh. And I know that you’re the deputy communications minister with power over MCMC.
“So I want to ask you, did you use a government agency like MCMC to close the mouths of those who criticise your friends in your party and cabinet?” Shamsher posted on Facebook.
On May 29, Teo defended Yeoh after the Selangor government was accused of nepotism in the award of a public transport contract to improve bus service in the state.
Teo said it is premature for Yeoh to step down as no one has shown concrete proof of a conflict of interest or power abuse as alleged.
“I think it would be unfair to ask Yeoh to resign and if the investigation proves there was an abuse of power then I believe that she will cooperate with the investigation properly and thoroughly.
“However, the question of whether she should resign, I think, is still premature,” she said.
Shamsher also said that Pakatan Harapan had promised to abolish draconian laws in the party’s manifesto.
“The 27th manifesto promise to “abolish oppressive laws” states that PH would abolish tyrannical laws previously abused by Barisan Nasional for political gain.”
Shamsher said he will be sending a letter to Facebook to verify the legal request that the social media company had received.
Over the weekend, Yeoh’s husband Ramachandran Muniandy said his company was selected by the Selangor government for a transport service pilot project based purely on merit and not because he was married to a minister.
He also said that his company – Asia Mobility Technologies Sdn Bhd – had met all the necessary requirements to become a service provider for Selangor Mobility’s demand-responsive transit (DRT) system.
The company has been given nine months to run the project on a trial basis since November last year.
Asia Mobiliti’s direct appointment has come under public scrutiny over the company’s links to Yeoh.
Ramachandran is Asia Mobiliti’s co-founder and chief executive officer.
MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki had previously said there was no need to investigate the case as no crime had been committed.
He said this was because the Selangor Mobility Initiative contract was not awarded to the company by Yeoh’s ministry but by the Selangor government.
Yeoh, meanwhile, welcomed the MACC investigations, saying that she wants “to see truth and vindication come out of this investigation. Malaysia deserves nothing less. – June 4, 2024.
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