KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has launched a an investigation to examine potential non-compliance and procedural weaknesses in the procurement process for a Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) tender worth RM58.45 million.

Datuk Mohd Zaki Hassan, director of MACC’s Governance Investigation Division (BPT), said a formal investigation file has been opened on the matter, according to a report published in BuletinTV3.

“At this stage, the investigation is ongoing. The aim is to determine whether there were any weaknesses or non-compliance, as highlighted in the National Audit Department (LKAN) report on July 21, which found that three out of seven UKM procurement tenders, amounting to RM58.45 million, did not follow the required procurement procedures,” he told reporters today.

Previously in November, MACC senior investigation director Datuk Zainul Darus had said five individuals had been called in for questioning over the issue.

The July LKAN report revealed that three of the seven UKM tenders, totalling RM58.45 million, failed to comply with prescribed procurement procedures.

The report noted that UKM’s Tender Committee had selected companies that were not recommended by the Technical Evaluation Committee, Financial Evaluation Committee, or Pre-Tender Committee.

It also highlighted that UKM did not appoint a representative from the Finance Ministry (MoF) to the procurement committee, and the appointed representative from the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) did not attend meetings related to the three tenders.