PKR wants probe on Ampang LRT job award
(The Malaysian Insider) – PKR has demanded that the prime minister be investigated for alleged criminal breach of trust and abuse of power in the awarding of a RM960 million contract for the Ampang Light Rail Transit (LRT) extension project.
The party’s chief strategist, Rafizi Ramli, told reporters today that he has “solid, documentary proof” that Datuk Seri Najib Razak intervened in the awarding of the contract, and has lodged a police report against the PM.
“What really alarmed us is that the prime minister himself has decided to give it to the George Kent consortium. We have solid proof in the form of documentary evidence that the PM has intervened and reversed the committee’s decision,” Rafizi said.
PKR had previously questioned a Business Times report that a George Kent Bhd joint venture could win a RM960 million contract for the Ampang LRT extension project, saying the consortium was knocked out in the bidding process.
Rafizi had said on June 22 he “can expose that George Kent is not the consortium who was chosen in Prasarana’s open tender process” despite the speculation in the business daily.
The Malaysian Insider reported this morning that the speculated winner of the Ampang LRT system works, the George Kent consortium, was one of three bidders which failed both the technical and commercial evaluation for the RM960 million contract.
Sources told The Malaysian Insider that only five of the eight bidders passed the technical and commercial evaluation stage but project owner Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd (SPNB) finally recommended one of the two South Korean consortiums in the running — PDA Consortium — as the other consortiums were said to not have complied with all conditions.
PKR officials have shown copies of official documents to the press, showing that the Ministry of Finance’s (MoF) Acquisition Committee, which met this January 25, had decided to award the contract to Balfour Bratty Invensys Consortium. The committee is the highest decision-making body in the MoF and is chaired by Najib himself, who is also finance minister.
“The prime minister knows that certain decisions made on the committee level would have proven what we are saying is right.
“We will drag this issue, more and more proof is coming,” Rafizi added.
