KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 — Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad reiterated today his commitment to transparency amid a growing uproar over an alleged monopoly of the medical supply chain by companies owned by Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians.
“We will ensure that the supply chain process is efficient, responsible, transparent.
“The aspiration of the PH government is to ensure and repair whatever apparent weaknesses, and will address any form of wastage (leakages including wrongdoings if proven),” he tweeted this morning in direct response to another Twitter post by his Pakatan Harapan (PH) colleague Fahmi Fadzil.
Fahmi, who is Lembah Pantai MP, had urged the government to stop the medical supply monopoly after a purported industry insider blew the whistle on 20 companies allegedly owned by prominent BN politicians, including a former minister, that had acted as “tendering agents”.
Based on the allegation, international pharmaceutical companies only dealt with the tendering agents to ensure a monopoly of the supply chain.
According to documents sent to the media and sighted by Malay Mail yesterday, the 20 companies had been awarded contracts worth RM3.7 billion between 2013 and 2016.
