.jpg "Youth and Sports Minister, Syed Saddiq Syed Aabdul Rahman speaks to reporters at Parliament in Kuala Lumpur August 2, 2018. u00e2u20acu201d Picture by Yusof Mat Isa")
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said all of his ministry’s projects that are under 15 per cent complete will be stopped and reopened for tender.
His deputy, Steven Sim, disclosed earlier today that most of the contracts awarded by the ministry last year were via direct negotiations.
“I have already instructed the ministry to stop all existing projects which have not (reached) the 15 per cent mark, as per conditions set by the finance ministry.
“So quite a number of projects were stopped, which we will then do a re-tendering process through an open tender,” he said.
Syed Saddiq’s predecessor, Khairy Jamaluddin, insisted earlier that the directly-awarded contracts were not an automatic sign of corruption.
Syed Saddiq said a majority of the scrapped projects were only initiated this year, some of which were meant to build new youth centres, and others for new stadiums.
He then elaborated on his five-step plan to rejuvenate the ministry and to bring it to an exemplary level of governance.
“After discussions with the relevant bodies and agencies, we have decided the five objectives would begin with making sure all contracts for projects after this goes through a process of open tender, and making sure there is a Grade P44 ranked Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission officer stationed at the ministry’s office.
“Those in this ministry must also declare their assets to the public domain; while we move to revive the Corruption Risk Mitigation report; and for completed and halfway projects to be scrutinised through programme and forensic auditing,” he explained.
