Inexperienced companies linked to Perak coup players get RM2.2 bil project

(Harakah Daily) – Attention has shifted to several characters in the power-play which gave birth to Barisan Nasional’s political coup in Perak in 2009, namely UMNO lawyer Hafarizam Harun and former chief justice Zaki Azmi (pics, left).

The duo have now been accused by blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin of having rewarded with a RM2.2 billion contract for a highway project in return for their efforts to ensure the ousting of the Pakatan Rakyat state government in Perak.

The Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) is said to be awarded to Emrail Sdn Bhd and Zabima Engineering Sdn Bhd, both without any highway construction experience. Zaki’s wife, Nik Sazlina Mohd Zain, is director of Zabima Engineering, while Hafarizam sits as director for both companies.

“Prime minister Najib Razak should declare the basis and criteria for awarding the to Zabima Engineering and Emrail.

 “Which other parties had been considered, and was there an open tender to ensure public interest is protected?” asked Lembah Pantai member of parliament Nurul Izzah Anwar in a statement.

Izzah demanded Najib to come clean on terms of the concession, toll rates and any future profit sharing, and questioned if the contract was in line with the New Economic Model and New Strategic Initiative policy lauded by the prime minister.

Citing Section 9 of judges’ code of ethics 2009, she called on current chief justice Ariffin Zakaria to compel Zaki to declare assets belonging to him and his kins in light of the allegation.

Hafarizam meanwhile has denied the allegation, saying the companies were being attacked because they were “part of the small group of Bumiputera companies” which was awarded the project.

He claimed that it was mala fide to link the award and his role in the Perak constitutional crisis in 2009, and the allegation was aimed to drag him and Zaki “into scandal and disrepute”.

“The truth is, if Hafarizam’s claim is true, then a small group of cronies has once again got the windfall when Malaysians, including majority of Bumiputera, are victimised by this project. The terms of the agreement between the government and the selected companies must be revealed so that the project will not turn into another concession to burden Malaysians,” stressed Izzah, who is also PKR vice president.