Taib’s son awarded millions in govt contracts
Most of the contracts were awarded without an open tender being called, claims the DAP.
(Free Malaysia Today) – 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.
