KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 25): DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had today asked Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Aziz to reveal the projects awarded via direct negotiations during the administrations of Barisan Nasional (BN), Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) after Tengku Zafrul claimed yesterday 101 projects worth RM6.61 billion were awarded via direct negotiations under the PH government.
Today, Lim, who was finance minister under the PH administration, claimed that at least 12 such projects collectively valued at some RM139.3 billion were approved under the BN government.
Lim claimed that the RM139.3 billion figure was in stark contrast to the RM6.61 billion worth of projects claimed to have been awarded via direct negotiations between 2018 and 2019 when PH was in power.
“Can (Tengku) Zafrul reveal the total value of projects awarded through direct negotiations by BN and those approved by him (Tengku Zafrul) under PN?" Lim said.
“The average cost of each of these direct award projects during the PH administration was RM65.3 million. Moreover, the RM6.61 billion only accounted for 1.4% of the total value of contracts awarded under the PH government.
“The direct award projects approved by the PH administration were in accordance with the regulations in place which allow projects involving national security, one of a kind expertise and emergency or critical situations to be awarded through direct negotiations," Lim claimed.
He was speaking at a press conference held at the Parliament building here today.
Yesterday, news reports quoting Tengku Zafrul, said a total of 101 projects with a procurement value of RM6.61 billion had been awarded through direct negotiations under the PH government.
It was reported that Tengku Zafrul gave the details on these projects during the Parliament's winding up session for the Ministry of Finance yesterday.
"In specific situations with the approval of the Finance Ministry, if [they are] urgent requirements in that it will affect government services and interest... procurement via direct negotiations can be implemented," Bernama quoted Tengku Zafrul as saying.
Read also:
Direct negotiations not wrong under law, says Tengku Zafrul
MoF reveals list of 101 projects awarded via direct negotiations under PH govt
Zafrul: 101 projects worth RM6.61b awarded via direct negotiations under PH government
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Edited by Chong Jin Hun