KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 24): Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said today that he will quit if he is found to be lying about the Klang Valley Double Tracking 2 (KVDT2) project as well as the ongoing legal tussle between the government and Dhaya Maju Infrastructure (Asia) Sdn Bhd (DMIA) and its partner Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT) over their termination as project contractor.

Wee said there were concerns raised from other parties over the competency of Dhaya Maju-LTAT Sdn Bhd — the joint-venture company (JVCo) set up to undertake the project — to undertake the KVDT2 project, based on the work carried out on the first phase of the double-tracking project.

“They did not have the adequate infrastructure, workers or equipment. This would have caused a big problem for the project,” Wee said in his Supply Bill 2021 debate at the Dewan Rakyat today.

Former transport minister and Seremban MP Anthony Loke then yelled that Wee was lying and confusing the issue, to which the latter replied that the decision to terminate the project was made by the entire Cabinet, which also took into consideration input from the Attorney-General’s chambers.

An unrelenting Loke continued to accuse the minister of lying and distorting facts.

“I state the facts, if I am wrong, I will resign immediately,” Wee retorted.

He added that in a letter, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Datuk Seri Azam Baki said the procurement process for the project was not done in accordance with procedure.

Loke, still on the offensive, pointed out to Wee that the procurement process was approved during the tenure of Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai as transport minister under the Barisan Nasional (BN) government and not the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.

Wee then said: “Stop being a spokesman for the company", to which Loke replied that he was a spokesperson for the Rakyat.

Last week, while Loke was debating the supply bill for Budget 2021, he alleged that Wee had asked the JVCo to subcontract the project to a China-based firm instead of carrying it out themselves.

Loke then read an excerpt of an affidavit by Dhaya Maju-LTAT chief executive officer Datuk Mohamed Razeek Hussain Maricar, which was filed last month in the Kuala Lumpur High Court, in which he alleged that Wee asked him to subcontract the project to a "China Company" in April.

The DAP lawmaker said the government’s unsubstantiated termination of the contract with Dhaya Maju-LTAT would cause 8,512 workers to lose jobs, with adverse effects on 261 local suppliers and subcontractors, most of whom are bumiputera.

Wee then took to social media to defend himself, reiterating in Parliament again today that the legal affidavit was baseless and the case was being politicised.

The Ayer Hitam Member of Parliament (MP) for BN also asked Loke if he had forgotten that it was he who informed the Cabinet in September 2018 that the KVDT2 project could cost less if it was done through an open tender, and that KTM Bhd had written to the ministries of transport and finance to express its concerns about having Dhaya Maju-LTAT as the project contractor.

Wee said he will take legal action to clear his name if the allegations are repeated outside of Parliament by Loke.

Dhaya Maju-LTAT filed a suit against the government in September to stop the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government from terminating the contract. The company claimed that the government had no legitimate basis to terminate the project, which is worth almost RM4.47 billion.

To recap, Dhaya Maju-LTAT was first appointed as the contractor for the KVDT2 project by the BN government in April 2018, shortly before the 14th general election (GE14). The original contract value was RM5.265 billion.

Months later, when PH formed the government, the contract was terminated on the grounds that it was overpriced and awarded via direct negotiation.

However, the Cabinet then decided to re-award the contract back to the JVCo but at a lower value 10 months later in July 2019. The value of the contract was reduced to RM4.475 billion, 15% lower than the original RM5.26 billion.

A year later, the current government terminated the contract.

Wee said his ministry would reopen the tender for the KVDT2 project after the termination of the contract previously awarded to Dhaya Maju-LTAT.