By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Dec 17: Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen has claimed that Sarawak contractors have been sidelined in the recent awarding of government school security service tenders, with local companies receiving a mere 8.75 per cent of the total RM720 million contract value.
Chong informed that the Ministry of Education (MOE), through Sarawak Education Department (JPNS), had called for tenders in September 2024 for the provision of security services in government schools across Sarawak for a 36-month period from Jan 1, 2025, to Dec 31, 2027.
“Under the tender process, all the schools in Sarawak were divided into 243 zones–each zone comprising several schools.
“Out of the 243 zones, Sarawak-based security companies only managed to win the tenders for 20 zones, with a total value of RM63,092,736.72,” he said at a press conference held at Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) headquarters here today.
This means Sarawak companies secured only 8.23 per cent of the total zones and 8.75 per cent of the total RM720,385,377.23 contract value.
“For Sarawak security companies to only get a mere 8.75 per cent of contract value for the contract works in our homeland of Sarawak, it is an outright marginalisation of Sarawak security firms in general and the Sarawakians at large.
“Many security companies from Sarawak who are qualified, experienced and currently active in the security service industry were not awarded any of the contracts and were totally left out,” he added.
Chong further called on the JPNS as the implementation agency, Sarawak Federal Treasury Department as the tender committee, and the Sarawak Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government, to take full responsibility to ensure local companies are prioritised.
He opined that it is unfair for the local people to only be able to look on and work as sub-contractors or sub-sub-contractors while the non-Sarawak companies and non-Sarawakians get the first bite and the lions share of the contract works in Sarawak.
“I also call on the government to put on hold the implementation of these contract work and [carry out] a review of the tenders so that at least 50 per cent in terms of value of the contract work go to the Sarawak security companies,” he emphasised. — DayakDaily
