KUALA LUMPUR – Based on a Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report released last week, Khoo Poay Tiong (PH-Kota Melaka) today alleged that Datuk Seri Wee Jeck Seng owns shares in a company that was recently awarded a project through direct tender.
He said the report showed that there was political interference in the awarding of a government project to a firm that the deputy plantation industries and commodities minister has shares in.
The project was awarded through direct tender, he added.
According to Companies Commission of Malaysia documents, Wee exited TC Sens Sdn Bhd on July 4, 2018, with his 25% stake of 1.25 million shares taken up by IDF Global Sdn Bhd, which is co-owned by Tan Chean Suan and Law Poey Lyk.
“We asked the deputy minister (Wee) to come forward last week to give an explanation. We gave him 24 hours,” Khoo told a press conference after the Dewan Rakyat sitting.
“Besides the deputy minister, we also asked Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, who was transport minister at that time, to come forward.”
He said after one week, Wee and Liow have yet to provide an explanation.
“Don’t run away. Don’t think by staying quiet, this issue will go away.
“PAC questioned Wee 13 times over the matter, but he only responded with ‘I don’t know’.”
The lawmaker said a partner from the company was also questioned by the committee, and when asked if he knew what MCA was, the individual replied that he was not aware of it.
“His partner is an MCA leader in Johor who has parliamentary positions and is a deputy minister in the cabinet. How can he say he doesn’t know what MCA is?”
On November 10, The Vibes reported that PAC has flagged political influence in two directly awarded contracts under the Transport Ministry, then led by Liow.
The projects are the Johor-Singapore Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) and Road Charges (RC) system that were directly awarded to TC Sens for RM149.45 million, said PAC chairman Wong Kah Woh when presenting the committee’s report.
He said PAC heard testimonies from Wee, a former shareholder of TC Sens; former ministry secretary-general Datuk Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman; Liow; and, former chief secretary to the government Tan Sri Ismail Bakar, who held the post of ministry secretary-general between November 18, 2015 and December 15, 2018.
The committee also heard from TC Sens chief executive Tan Chean Suan, whose company was awarded two separate contracts, namely capital expenditure (capex) amounting to RM45.15 million and operational expenditure (opex) amounting to RM104.3 million.
Wong said PAC found no proper justification for the projects to be awarded via direct tender.
“MPs also need to declare business interests to the ministry in charge, if the business involves government projects.
“The selection of TC Sens Sdn Bhd, which was submitted by the then transport minister (Liow) to the then prime minister (Datuk Seri Najib Razak), was done without a comprehensive evaluation with respect to the financial and technical capabilities of the company to implement the RC/VEP system projects.”
The committee found “the existence of political influence in the appointment of contractors/vendors for the RC/VEP system projects through direct negotiations”, he said. – The Vibes, November 17, 2020
