KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 — Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong today clarified that it was the Cabinet collective that decided to terminate the Klang Valley Double Tracking Phase 2 (KVDT2) contract with Dhaya Maju Infrastructure (Asia) Sdn Bhd (DMIA) and its partner Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT) (DMIA-LTAT).
He said the Cabinet decision took into account views from the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
“The decision to terminate the KVDT2 letter of consent — where the official project agreement has yet to be signed — is not the decision of a person named Wee Ka Siong, not me, but was made by the Cabinet after considering several inputs, including the AGC.
“The Ministry of Transport had listed the pros and cons in defending the decision made by the Pakatan Harapan government and the termination of the letter of consent in the Cabinet memorandum.
“When verifying the Cabinet minutes regarding termination of the letter of consent on September 2, MoT also took into account the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s views, which confirmed that the procurement of the KVDT2 project did not follow the current government’s procurement procedures,” Wee said in his wind-up speech on the Budget 2021 Bill.
Wee was responding to his predecessor and Seremban MP Anthony Loke who had accused him of making another deal with DMIA-LTAT to sub-contract the KVDT2 project to a company from China.
Loke reacted with anger, accusing Wee of misleading the Dewan Rakyat with “lies”, resulting in a shouting match in the Dewan Rakyat.
Loke insisted the procurement procedures observed by the PH administration were the same as those adopted when Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai was transport minister and the project was approved in 2018 before the 14th General Election.
“What didn’t follow procedure? We want to know in the Dewan too.
“You are lying! You are misleading the Dewan!” Loke shouted from across the floor.
To which Wee responded by saying he was merely reading out facts of the matter — a letter — which he claimed was written to him by MACC chief Datuk Seri Azam Baki.
“Why are you getting all riled up? These are facts that I want to convey, and if there are any elements of me telling lies, I will resign,” said Wee.
“Who gave the project? The project was given by Liow Tiong Lai, you too were part of the Cabinet then,” Loke repeatedly told Wee despite his microphone being muted.
But Wee proceeded to remind Loke that when the latter was the transport minister, he reportedly said the project tender would be done through an open tender.
“If you don’t agree, you can discuss with MACC,” said Wee.
Loke then asked if this was wrong.
“Is that wrong? You (Wee) said just now that MACC said this procedure is wrong, I want to ask if that procedure is wrong.
“Don’t involve MACC. You are speaking in the Dewan, you accused us of saying the procedure was wrong.
“That is the same procedure used before. We (PH government) returned (the project tender to DMIA-LTAT) so that we would not be implicated by the law,” said Loke.
He also pressed Wee for an answer on how much damages the PN government has to pay upon terminating the contract.
On November 17, Loke had in Parliament cited an affidavit filed at the High Court on October 27 by DMIA-LTAT chief executive officer Datuk Mohamed Razeek Md Hussain Maricar to support an injunction the company had filed against the government for cancelling the project tender awarded to DMIA-LTAT.
Wee had on the same day dismissed these allegations saying it was baseless.
He also accused the tenderers for politicising the issue through a politician.
Wee, however, without offering an answer to Loke’s question on the amount of damages implicated in the court case, proceeded to explain what would happen to LTAT amid the tender being terminated.
“Regarding concerns that LTAT will be affected, I can confirm here that the Cabinet has made a decision that whoever holds the project tender in the future will have to work with LTAT as a partner and this can be made mandatory to protect interests of LTAT and Bumiputera contractors,” he said.
He added that the KVDT2 completion rate was only at 12 per cent as of September 13 and not 24 per cent as said by Loke earlier.
