PUTRAJAYA, July 5 — The Education Ministry (MoE) today denied an allegation by YTL Communications Sdn Bhd (YTLC) that it breached contractual obligations pertaining 1BestariNet project.
Its secretary-general Datuk Mohd Gazali Abas said the YTLC service contract for 1BestariNet had expired on June 30, and not terminated by the ministry.
He said YTLC was awarded the contract for the first phase of 1BestariNet for the period of December 13, 2011 to June 30, 2016, including seven extensions of contract before the second phase contract from July 1, 2016 to June 30, this year.
“Hence, the claim that the ministry had breached contractual obligations and had acted with ill-intent is baseless and unfair to the ministry and the government,” he said in a statement here today.
He explained that major telco companies including YTLC were invited to a briefing on the ministry’s requirements for the six months period (from July 1 to December 31, 2019) before the new tender was called.
“There are some companies which provided feedback to us, and some didn’t. Following our engagements, the ministry appointed three companies namely TM One, Maxis and Celcom Axiata,” said Mohd Gazali.
On the allegation that the YTLC’s offer to provide a complete solution of free Internet service and Frog VLE for the interim period until the new tender was called, was rejected, Mohd Gazali said it was unfair and unfounded.
“The ministry has responded to YTLC’s request which was extended to Education Minister Maszlee Malik with the conditions that have been decided by the ministry.
“The ministry did not take the offer made by YTLC because MoE has solid reasons to do so,” said Mohd Gazali.
He also stressed that even though YTLC’s contract had expired on June 30, to ensure that YTLC’s services to its commercial users would not be affected, the ministry had considered YTLC’s application to continue using the transmitters installed in schools nationwide.
However, it is only for a period of three months until September 30, 2019 and is subjected to some other conditions that YTLC has to agree on, said Mohd Gazali
He said the ministry had never sidelined any eligible telecommunications companies, including YTLC, in its tenders.
YTLC could still take part in future tenders, including for Internet line services at schools next year. — Bernama
