KUALA LUMPUR – “Urgent” projects had to be awarded via direct negotiation or selective tenders, said former environment and water minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man in response to the prime minister suspending the RM7 billion allocation that included flood mitigation.
In a brief statement today, Tuan Ibrahim, who is also PAS deputy president, said the prime minister should not assume that all projects approved through direct negotiation were not orderly or only involve parties looking to benefit themselves.
He added that such “urgent” projects had to be awarded via direct negotiation or selective tenders, especially those involving natural disasters such as floods, dam breaks, landslides, and others.
“(Anwar) knows that urgent projects have to be expedited to avoid bigger and costlier disasters.”
Aside from projects linked to his former ministry, Tuan Ibrahim added that all projects should be strictly scrutinised in line with guidelines set by the Finance Ministry.
Tuan Ibrahim’s statement comes after Anwar said that the Finance Ministry has been ordered to suspend the approval of RM7 billion, including for flood mitigation projects, through direct negotiations, subject to re-examination.
The projects, he said, involved a significant allocation, and the decision to approve them through direct negotiations was made with the pretext of solving the nation’s flood woes.
However, such actions, he added, will cause problems when they do not comply with the rules and open up room for certain parties to exploit. – The Vibes, December 6, 2022
