Taib’s son awarded millions in govt contracts

Taib Mahmud

By Joseph Tawie

Most of the contracts were awarded without an open tender being called, claims the DAP.

KUCHING: For the past five years, Chief Minister Taib Mahmud’s son Abu Bekir has been the main beneficiary of millions of ringgit worth of government contracts awarded by the state government.

Confirming widely speculated rumours here, the state government recently disclosed in its written answer to a DAP assemblyman that most contracts were awarded without an open tender being called.

The contracts were awarded to two companies – Titanium Project Management Sdn Bhd and Woodville Construction Sdn Bhd.

Titanium is linked to Abu Bekir.

The revelations, according to Kota Sentosa assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen, were “really shocking”.

“These details which are contained in the answers to my questions (submitted to the State Legislative Assembly) are really shocking,” he said.

Chong, who is also state DAP secretary, had put in his questions during the assembly’s June sitting.

He had written to ask the State Infrastructure Development and Communications Minister for a list of all contractors awarded by the state and federal governments for the construction and completion of bridges in Sarawak in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.

He had also asked for the respective contract sums and actual sums of each bridge.

Contracts to Titanium

Chong also wanted to know whether the awards of these contracts were carried out pursuant to an open tender process and, if so, what were the criteria and consideration for appointment of these contractors as the main contractors for these bridges.

“Basically, there are two companies given the state projects to build bridges in Sarawak without open tender.

“One was Woodville Construction which is owned by Shin Yang group of companies and the other was Titanium Project Management which is owned by Abu Bekir, son of the chief minister,” he said.

Woodville Construction was given two projects worth RM217,500,000 while Titanium Project Management was awarded one contract.

In 2008, the Titanium Project Management was awarded a contract to design, construct and complete bridges and culverts to replace temporary and semi-permanent council bridges and some Public Work Department bridges in Sarawak.

“Under this contract, a few hundred bridges were given to Titanium Project Management to construct, and the value of the contract is RM1,178,410,000,” he said, pointing out that this was “almost a monopoly” in the construction of bridges.

“What is shocking is that the state projects were awarded to Abu Bekir and Shin Yang companies not through open tenders unlike the federal projects.

“This is totally against the principle of fairness and transparency in awarding government contracts.

“If you remember in 2001, the government contract was given to Titanium Management to construct 384 bridges at the cost of RM500 million.

“In 2006, the company constructed only 332 bridges or about 80 percent of the bridges, but the government has to pay the company RM948 million,” he said.

Corrupt practices

According to Chong, in 2008 the government again awarded another contract to Titanium.

This time the contract was awarded to Titanium Project Management.

“Although it is a different name, it is the same company with the word ‘Project’ added to its name with the same constitution and the same shareholders.

“This is an abuse of power and an unfair government practice that is cutting off other contractors from doing government works.

“I think the State Infrastructure Development and Communication Minister Michael Manyin has a lot of explanation to make to the people of Sarawak,” said Chong.

He described the whole process of awarding these contracts by the state government as “smacking of corrupt practices”.

When asked if the opposition would lodge a report on the issue with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Chong said: “Is there any use?

“There is no point to lodge a report as MACC has made its position very clear that binoculars that could be purchased for RM5,000 each and were charged at RM50,000 apiece is not corruption.”

Chong was referring to the Auditor-General’s Report 2010 which disclosed that binoculars purchased by the Marine Department was charged RM50,000 each instead of RM5,000 as it should have been.

“If that is not corruption, I don’t know what corruption is. But the MACC ruled that it is not corruption,” he said, drawing a comparison between this issue and the Teoh Beng Hock case.

‘MACC, a BN political tool’

Chong said Teoh had allegedly spent RM2,000 to buy and distribute Malaysian flags and the MACC interrogated him throughout the night and forced him to commit suicide.

“If you compare this case with Teoh’s, you can see a stark difference in the treatment,” he said.

Chong said that although there was a prima facie corruption case, the MACC did not open any file or investigate.

“They just brushed off the case.

“Judging by the way it (MACC) conducts itself, it appears that MACC is a political tool of Barisan Nasional to oppress the opposition, while condoning such acts of abuse of public funds by the BN government,” he said.

Source : FMT