By Peter Sibon
KUCHING, Nov 15: Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing said inviting the Auditor-General and Malaysian Anti-Corrupt Commission (MACC) to attend State Tender Board meetings would put to rest all negative perceptions about the way projects are awarded in Sarawak.
“The announcement made by the CM will make no further doubt about the integrity of the state civil service because the MACC will be there.
“And the audit department will also be allowed in. These two authorities must take it correctly and sit in so that there will be no more further interruptions (of planned projects),” Masing told reporters after the State Legislative Assembly sitting adjourned sine die yesterday.
He was commenting on Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s winding-up speech, where he announced that the state would include the Auditor-General and the MACC to sit in all project-award committees under the State Tender Board, chaired by the State Financial Secretary.
The chief minister also repeated his warning to the opposition that if they wished to criticise his administration, they must come up with facts and not simply create negative perceptions and dabble with character assassination.
“That is cheap politics. I want to call on all Sarawakians not to fall prey on this cheap politics of the opposition. Their objectives are to bring down the government using perceptions and not using facts. This is because they do not have the facts,” said Abang Johari.
He also chided the opposition for using scare and fear tactics by continuously questioning the government or insinuating that the government is corrupt.
Abang Johari reiterated that the state government would continue to abide by all financial procedures as laid down by the law and the Treasury.
“Don’t ever question our integrity and our sincerity. Our reserves remain so high and our Stable State Credit Rating is A- by Standard and Poor and A3 by Moody’s Investors Service and we have received Clean Certificates for Public Accounts Management by the Auditor-General for 16 consecutive years.
“Is that not a good testimony of prudent financial management, good governance and excellent state administration and civil service?
“There is no other state in Malaysia or even the federal government having recorded such an excellent record,” he pointed out. — DayakDaily
