Heated debate in Parliament over RM6.61 bln direct-nego projects under PH

A commotion broke out at today's Dewan Rakyat sitting when the issue of direct negotiation projects under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government administration was brought up.

This happened when Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz was winding up the debate on the Temporary Measures for Government Financing (Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)) Bill 2020.

"During the previous administration, a total of 101 projects or procurement totalling RM6.61 billion have been approved through direct negotiation by the Finance Ministry," he said, which prompted arguments between government representatives and the opposition bloc.

Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian) and Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim (BN-Baling) stood up and requested Tengku Zafrul to repeat his statement on the direct negotiation projects.

Things started to heat up when Lim Guan Eng (PH-Bagan) who was the former finance minister under PH administration stood up to 'defend' himself.

Lim said: "I am open if YB (Tengku Zafrul) wants to provide the list of tenders that were approved not through an open tender. They were approved by the Cabinet as the current prime minister is also aware of.

The verbal exchange continued until the Dewan Rakyat speaker Datuk Azhar Azizan Harun who was chairing the session ordered everyone to take a seat and did not allow any interference.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (PH-Port Dickson) who is also the opposition leader agreed that the list of all contracts given without tender to be made available to the public, whether from the PH administration or Perikatan Nasional.

However, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali stood up and denied Lim's statement.

"We have the Finance Minister providing clear details that the same thing had happened during PH administration. The total is RM6 billion and YB Bagan (Lim)'s claim that the Cabinet was aware is not true. There was never a presentation on the tender list," he said.

The heated argument went on and on and this prompted Azhar to ask all members of parliament who were standing up to speak to take a seat, but his order was ignored by several MPs including Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham (PH-Beruas) who kept on asking for clarification from Tengku Zafrul.

"Please take a seat! First warning, second warning, sit down. Third warning, sit down! I want you (Beruas) to leave the hall now until tomorrow," said Azhar, who also warned other MPs of similar fate if they insisted on interfering the sitting.

-- BERNAMA