KOTA KINABALU, Feb 17 — Sabah Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Peter Anthony will take legal action against a local portal over allegations on the award of contracts by the Sabah Public Works Department (JKR).

He said his ministry had lodged a police report and is calling on the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to take action against the portal as well.

He said the state government today is always open to criticisms, but they should be constructive.

"I am suing the portal as the minister as it is accusing us of abuse of power. They also know at ministry-level, we have no authority to appoint contractors through direct-negotiation, never.

"But this is possible at the Finance Ministry level as practised since the Sabah government was formed,” he told reporters when asked to comment on the matter here today.

Earlier, a local portal reported that Peter was involved in awarding contracts worth RM1.5 billion from Sabah JKR without tender.

Peter said the portal's report was seen as attempting to hurl baseless allegations when his ministry was not involved in direct negotiation with any contractor in Sabah.

He said the concession mentioned by the portal was a review of the concession owned by a company given the contract by the previous government.

However, his ministry found the quality of work on the concession unsatisfactory, and therefore proposed the scope of work under the concession be downsized while giving opportunities to other more capable contractors to meet the standards stipulated, he said. — Bernama