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KUALA LUMPUR: Why didn’t the Pakatan Harapan government opt for an open tender for the ongoing Klang Valley Double Tracking Phase 2 (KVDT2) rehabilitation project, asks Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Wee Ka Siong?
He said that former Transportation Minister Anthony Loke Loke had informed Pakatan Harapan’s Cabinet on September 19 that the cost of the KVDT2 could be reduced to RM3bil from RM3.5bil if it was re-bid.
“The question is: why was it not done? Worse still, only after 10 months of informing the Cabinet, the KVDT2 project was offered through direct negotiations on July 2 at the price of RM4,475bil.
“Isn’t this strange and strange?
“Loke’s own statement showed that he knew the initial cost was between RM3bil and RM3.5bil, but agreed to award the project through direct negotiations at the higher price of RM4.475bil,” Dr. Wee said in a statement on Saturday (August 29).
He announced that under the Perikatan Nasional government, the Cabinet had agreed to have an open tender for the KVDT2 project and to cancel the contract negotiated directly after recent revelations in Parliament.
KVDT2 is one of 101 projects costing RM6.61bil recently revealed in Parliament as contracts awarded through direct negotiation during the Pakatan Harapan government watch.
Dr. Wee said that Loke should appreciate Perikatan’s decision to convert it to an open tender contract.
“At least what he wanted but Pakatan did not do was ultimately implemented by the Perikatan Nasional government,” he said.
The minutes of Pakatan Harapan’s cabinet meeting on September 19 revealed that Pakatan made several U-turns on the project, he added.
“Pakatan initially wanted to remove the KVDT2 project and issued a cancellation of the letter of agreement. Then, they decided to renegotiate the price, and later the Cabinet decided to cancel the letter of agreement and bid again.
“On July 2, 2019, Pakatan changed his stance and made a direct negotiation agreement with Dhaya Maju LTAT, reportedly with a cost reduction of 15%.
“For me, the process is like a roller coaster, always going around,” he said.
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