KUALA LUMPUR – The government should form a task force or royal commission of inquiry to investigate the contentious 1BestariNet project, said Selangor Barisan Nasional information chief Isham Jalil.
Isham’s call for an investigation came after former education minister Maszlee Malik alleged that former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had pushed for Maszlee’s resignation over a contract issue linked to the project.
Isham raised his concerns on his Facebook page, saying the RM3 billion 1BestariNet project involved “a large amount” of money.
“Where did the money go?”
Isham later told The Vibes that the issue has been going on for years but has yet to show any closure.
“The government must set up a special committee to investigate this and find out where the RM3 billion went.”
According to Free Malaysia Today yesterday evening, Maszlee alleged Muhyiddin pushed then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for his resignation as education minister over a contract issue.
The allegation was made in his recently released book, Memori Bukan Memoir, wherein Maszlee claimed Dr Mahathir had called him for meetings five times to discuss the matter.
Maszlee also alleged top ministry officials had joined him to explain the reasons for not extending the 1BestariNet project, which was launched in 2011 by Muhyiddin when he held the education portfolio.
“I’m often asked whether the seventh prime minister’s (Mahathir) request for me to return my position to him was due to the 1BestariNet issue, or more specifically YTL’s controversial contract with the education ministry,” Maszlee was quoted as saying.
“I cannot say that this is the only reason, but I can say that it was one of the reasons that the prime minister asked me to do so, and according to him, following the request of the Bersatu president (Muhyiddin).”
The project was meant to be a 15-year initiative that would cost RM4.077 billion at first.
It was to supply more than 10,000 schools across the country with high-speed internet access and virtual learning platforms, but the Public Accounts Committee in 2015 had labelled it a “failed” project.
A litany of complaints were also listed in the 2013 auditor-general’s report, among them being delays in providing Internet services, the lack of a project committee, and the Education Ministry’s failure to research the needs of the schools involved. – The Vibes, September 7, 2021
