By Syauqi Jamil
KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan (PH) government will continue the efforts by the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) administration in providing assistance to Bumiputera contractors in terms of procurement matters.
Finance Ministry Special Advisor Tony Pua Kiam Wee said the objective to provide opportunities and skill up Bumiputera contractors doesn’t change on contrary to previous claims that the new government will overlook Bumiputera privileges, especially in economic gains.
Pua said that although the objective remains, the approach on the other hand will be altered to breed successful contractors rather than cronies.
“We want these projects to be tendered competitively among Bumiputera contractors. At least we can start getting competitive process among Bumi contractors.
“Those who cant make it to fall of the chain. Then those who are good can then graduate and compete in the market overall.
“The approach will change so it becomes successful, doesn’t breed cronies, (but) it breed successful bumi contractors,” said Pua.
He said this today during his opening speech at The Center to Combat Corruption & Cronyism’s (C4) Seminar and Report Launch: Procurement as Part of Good Governance in Malaysia.
C4 in their report had analysed procurement challenges and came up with 17 recommendations for improvement via internal control mechanisms and external oversight systems.
Among other things, it had called for the government to publish decisions on award of contract and the justification for selection and rejection.
