Secret open bidding?

When he took over office last year, PM Najib came out with a slew of reformist sounding ideas. I use the term ‘sounding’ because, the intention still requires substantiation. One of them is raising revenues for the government through the sale of government owned land. It was supposed to be done through open tenders.

A few familiar named locations were mentioned- the RRI land in Sungai Buloh, the Army Airport land in Sungai Besi, the KTM lands, and others. These will be sold through open bids intoned the PM.

But let’s take a step further. The government can plan what type of development it wants, down to the features, elements it wants to be incorporated. The image it wants to create. So instead of offering land simpliciter, it should offer packaged deals to be bidden. Don’t leave it to the vagaries of rapacious businessmen. These buggers may even want to sell the land to 3rd parties upon getting approval. Especially those who have somehow managed to skirt round the declared open biddings.

That would mean a better open bidding strategy. The government draws up a complete plan, puts in details into the plan right up to the design, density, nature of development. Then the government invites bids from private companies though the open market. The government offers a complete package which bidders carry out accordingly. In that way, the government controls the flavor of the development.

We are now wondering whether things have really changed according to the Najib declarations. The Sungai Buloh land belonging to RRI will be developed by EPF. Now- if the EPF is already chosen, where is the open tender exercise?