By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Dec 20: Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen has called on Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg to clarify and review the alleged unfair treatment of Sarawakian companies in the recent awarding of government school security service tenders in the State amounting to RM720 million.
He was referring to the recent revelation that local contractors only managed to win the tenders and awarded the service contracts for 20 out of 243 zones (8.23 per cent) or RM63,092,736.72 (8.75 per cent) of the total RM720,385,377.23 contract value.
“It is no valid excuse that the low percentage of the winning tenders was because there were only few licenced security companies from Sarawak.
“There were few licenced security companies from Sarawak because the Ministry of Internal Affairs has, without giving any reason and for a long time, refused to grant security licences the companies from Sarawak.
“But even with the few licenced security companies, the 8.75 per cent figure is still far too low,” he said in the letter addressed to Anwar who is the finance minister, Second Finance Minister Senator Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Aziz, and Abang Johari, dated Dec 18, 2024.
A copy of the letter was made available to the press via the ‘Media DAP Kuching’ WhatsApp Group.
Chong, who is also the Padungan assemblyman and Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) chairman, further appealed to Anwar’s good office to set a clear policy to give preference to local contractors in all the Government’s service and supply contracts.
“As for the tenders awarded to the non-Sarawak companies, I urge that the Offices of Prime Minister and the Premier of Sarawak do intervene to review the whole tender assessment process of the above security service work to ascertain whether appropriate consideration has been given to the local service providers and the reasons why the local contractors lost out to West Malaysian contractors for the works in Sarawak.
“Though this issue affects only those involved in the security service industry, it nevertheless consolidates on and amplifies the perception and sentiment of all Sarawakians that we have been and are still marginalised by the federal government in all policy-making process, so much so that even for the federal government contract works in Sarawak, more than 90 per cent of it goes to West Malaysian companies,” he added. — DayakDaily
