CONTRACTOR recommendations and procurement decisions under the Jana Ekonomi Pemerkasaan Kontraktor Bumiputera Berwibawa (Jana Wibawa) programme were driven by directives from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the Kuala Lumpur High Court heard today.
Ministry of Finance’s Government Procurement Division secretary Datin Rosni Yusoff testified that the evaluation committee she chaired only assessed contractors formally referred by the PMO through the Finance Minister’s Office.
She said letters of interest submitted directly to the Finance Ministry did not carry sufficient authority for the evaluation process to begin.
Deputy public prosecutor Iman Nurhidayah Ezani was questioning Rosni on the procedures governing contractor selection under the programme.
Iman: “[Regarding] the letters of interest submitted directly to the Government Procurement Division...could you explain what weight or role they carry?”
Rosni: “Letters of interest received without going through the Prime Minister’s Office will not be processed...because we have no authority to execute the evaluation process.”
Iman: “So, for letters of interest submitted through the minister of finance’s office from the PMO, what action did you need to take?”
Rosni: “For directives received from the minister of finance’s office, we would conduct evaluations on those applications and bring them to the Jana Wibawa Contractor Evaluation Committee.”
In her written witness statement, Rosni outlined the evaluation process for the RM62 million Felda Bukit Jalor-Gemas road project, including the assessment of KCJ Engineering Sdn Bhd.
She said the company initially failed the evaluation after being found to have unsatisfactory work performance and existing “sick” projects, referring to projects that were delayed or experiencing serious implementation problems.
Rosni said contractors were assessed against three criteria — registration and rating, financial capability, including a minimum 125% coverage requirement for cash flow and financing capacity, and technical capability based on their performance record over the preceding five years.
“In December 2020, KCJ Engineering passed the first and second stages of evaluation but failed the third stage due to unsatisfactory current work performance and existing sick projects,” The Edge cited Rosni saying.
She said the evaluation committee’s minutes were treated as confidential and were only forwarded to the Finance Minister’s Office.
However, the Ministry of Finance subsequently received a letter dated Feb 3, 2021, signed by Datuk Dr Marzuki Mohammad, then the Prime Minister’s private secretary, forwarding an updated list of contractors that included KCJ Engineering for further consideration and re-evaluation.
Following the PMO’s referral, the company was reassessed on Feb 26, 2021, and subsequently cleared all three evaluation criteria.
The Finance Ministry then prepared a memorandum recommending that the project be awarded through direct negotiation to the company.
The court also heard testimony concerning the design-and-build contract for Phase Three of the Pulau Indah Ring Road project in Klang, Selangor.
Rosni said the Public Works Department (PWD) procurement board had initially recommended Sutracom Sdn Bhd for the project based on a departmental estimate of RM540 million.
However, the Finance Ministry ultimately approved the contract at Sutracom’s submitted price of RM605.2 million for a 36-month implementation period.
Iman: “Who actually has the final say on the price offer, Datin, even though it was submitted to the PWD?”
Rosni: “The minister of finance, because the minister of finance finalises the implementation of the project.”
Rosni also confirmed that contractors for the Pulau Indah Ring Road project and the RM141 million North Klang District Police Headquarters (IPPD) project, awarded to Nepturis Sdn Bhd, were evaluated only after official submissions were channelled from the PMO to the Finance Minister’s Office.
Former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is facing seven charges in the trial — four counts of abuse of power involving RM225.3 million in alleged gratification and three money-laundering charges involving RM200 million.
He is accused of receiving bribes from Datuk Azman Yusoff and three companies, including Nepturis and Mamfor Sdn Bhd, allegedly for the benefit of his political party, Bersatu.
The trial before Judge Noor Ruwena Md Nurdin continues tomorrow. - August 18, 2026
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