The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has tabled its scathing report on the dreadful management of 4 incinerator projects by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government in Parliament last week.
The management of the projects were so bad that the PAC specifically recommended actions against 5 officials involved with their approval and implementation. They include the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry secretary-general, the director-general of the National Solid Waste Management Department and the panel of experts who evaluated the projects.
In the interview with The Malaysian Insider yesterday, the Chairman of the PAC, Datuk Nur Jazlan has rightly pointed out that among the key issues raised was the award of these projects worth approximately RM200 million via direct negotiations. I completely agree with Datuk Nur Jazlan that an open tender approach on sourcing for incinerators could have prevented millions of public funds from being wasted on the faulty ones supplied by XCN Technology (XCNT).
Hence it came as a complete shock when the Minister in charge of “Governance and Integrity” in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Paul Low feebly attempted to raise a defence for the lack of open tenders in Government procurements.
When asked to comment on the incinerator controversy by The Malaysian Insider, Datuk Paul Low said that it would be a long time before a fully open tender system is implemented for government contracts to replace direct negotiations.
He said it was “very hard” to immediately enforce an open tender system for government procurement and that it was a “journey” that would take some time.
“We have begun implementing it. But it takes time to change the practice. I don’t know when we can fully implement it… The government is so huge but it is a journey,” he said.
It appears that the former respected chairman of Transparency International Malaysia who preached accountability and good governance has completely capitulated to the tainted Barisan Nasional (BN) system. In the past, he would have supported the PAC Chairman’s stand against direct negotiations without a moment’s hesitation.
Datuk Paul Low did not even attempt to put up a front to demonstrate the Najib administration’s rock-solid commitment and political will to fight corruption, waste and negligence. Instead the “Integrity” Minister became an open apologist for the BN system of shady direct negotiations and giving feeble excuse as to why it will take a long time to implement open tenders.
Instead of being able to boast of transformational change in the Government administration to be more transparent and accountable after his surprise appointment to the Cabinet 18 months ago, it appears that Datuk Paul Low himself underwent the transformational change.
To quote a Malay proverb, “Masuk ke dalam kandang kambing mengembik, masuk ke dalam kandang kerbau menguak.”
Datuk Paul Low should take a long reflection at the mirror to determine if his own “journey” as the flag-bearer for transparency and good governance has sadly ended.