PETALING JAYA, July 16 — The Education Ministry’s decision to pay a higher price to YTL Corporation for the supply of Chromebooks is puzzling the DAP’s Zairil Khir Johari, who believes it is cheaper to source the computers straight from the makers.

Yesterday, Zairil (picture) had questioned the ministry’s award to build and equip a virtual school to YTL — a company better known for building luxury hotels and power supply than education — which the opposition lawmaker estimated would cost RM9 billion in public funds over a span of five years.

“... wouldn’t the ministry have been able to get a better deal if they were to buy the Chromebooks directly from the manufacturers, i.e. Samsung or Acer?” the Bukit Bendera MP asked, as he disputed the government’s pricey purchase.

According to Zairil, the ministry had stated it would be supplying some 5.5 million students a Chromebook with wi-fi capability made by either Korean maker Samsung or the Taiwanese Acer and priced at RM1,200 each when it rolls out the virtual learning programme next year.

His own checks revealed a Samsung Chromebook with wi-fi capability was now retailing at RM988, RM212 cheaper than what it could cost the government.

Zairil acknowledged that a Samsung Chromebook with in-built 4G specification was selling for RM1,299, or RM99 more than the government would be billed.

But the legislator insisted that the government would make immense savings to buy direct from the manufacturers.

“If that is the case, then would it not be even cheaper if the government had sourced for the Chromebooks directly from the manufacturers, rather than paying a premium through YTL, which is neither a computer manufacturer nor distributor?” he asked.

Zairil noted that Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan had told him it was more economical to use Chromebooks than to build new computer labs in schools in reply to his questions in Parliament regarding YTL’s monopoly in three school-tool projects.

In his reply, Ahmad had reportedly told Parliament the Chromebooks would cost about RM86,700 a classroom, far cheaper than the RM150,000 it would cost to build a normal computer lab for an entire school.

The Education Ministry has budgeted RM139.6 million for an initial order of 116,399 Chromebooks at a cost of RM1,200 each.

Zairil’s questions on the award process appear to be an attempt to shine light on the federal government’s opaque tender process that has drawn criticism and allegations that certain businessmen have benefited financially over the years from their close ties to the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.