Why was this firm given the project?

An investigation into possible power abuse in connection with the National Immigration System (NIISe) has found that the committee which endorsed the company for the project did not fully determine if it is capable of undertaking the job.

(The Star) – It is learnt that graft investigators believe the committee did not do proper due diligence when it proposed that the company be given the project.

Sources said investigators were of the opinion that the committee did not properly check if the company was able and capable in IT development.

Another contention was the company’s financial capability.

Sources said investigators had found that the company could not pay RM30 mil to another firm supplying licence for IT.

“This has raised questions as to why this company was given the project. Was proper due diligence done before it was brought to the tender board?

“Did the committee take into account all this information before suggesting that the company be given the job?

“Was the tender board given the right and correct information for them to make the decision to choose this company?” a highly placed source told The Star.It is also learnt the project has been classified as a “sick project” due to its slow progress.

Sources pointed out that since the project was awarded in 2021, not even Phase One, which is the analysis report on requirement and design, had been completed.

They said the fact that the government had released RM60mil to the company, or about 5% of the RM1.13bil project cost showed that “not much work has been done”.

It is learnt that Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission investigators will also call a senior government official over his statement on NIISe which affected the share price of an e-government service provider linked to the project.

“Investigators want to find out the context of his statement as a probe into the project is underway,” a source said.

Sources however stressed that should the officer be called, it would not be due to ethical issues or that he was being investigated.

“Investigators want to find out the reason for the statement and the context made,” a source said.

While the source made no mention of the said senior government official, Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud was recently reported to have said that come 2025, all immigration-related affairs, including those being managed by outside parties such as MyEG, would be handled by the Immigration Department.

The day after the news report was published, MyEG’s share price dropped sharply.