KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said today he saw no reason to sack officers who ask certain firms to be considered for government tenders.
Taking questions from Opposition MPs during Question Time, the Tambun MP suggested a letter requesting for companies to be considered for public projects is not illegal.
“To me if there is a recommendation letter, yes we can advise (the sender) but it’s not a wrongdoing to the point that we must sack them,” he said in a reply to Masjid Tanah MP, Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (PN).
“If we are talking about recommendation letters all of you have been ministers before. These are official letters, so we need to assess them regardless but we keep them for record,” Anwar added.
“These letters usually contain requests for “consideration”, “assessment”. What we cannot tolerate is when the letter demands approval.”
Anwar’s office had been rocked by allegations of corruption involving his former political secretary, Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Akin, who remains in Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission custody amid a probe into claims that he received bribes.
Mas Ermieyati, who is also the sitting chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, cited the scandal as a stain on Anwar’s reform credentials.
The Masjid Tanah MP then suggested Anwar had reposted social media messages that appeared to have supported Shamsul, even as investigation is ongoing.
Days before he resigned, Shamsul denied the allegations and said he would fight to clear his name.
“I hope the prime minister can guarantee that there will be no political interference in the investigation,” she said.
Anwar replied saying he had made it publicly clear that the MACC is free to probe without any intervention, but denied knowledge of Mas Ermieyati’s claim that he had reposted postings that were supportive of his former political secretary.
“I have no idea what you’re referring to but if anything please file a complaint,” he said.
The prime minister also countered the Opposition by accusing them of hypocrisy.
He alleged Perikatan Nasional administrations in Kelantan and Terengganu had submitted letters that requested companies they recommended be directly selected for government tenders, despite using Shamsul’s arrest to attack his government.
These letters were supposedly written by state executive councillors, the Tambun MP claimed.
“What I find to be hypocritical is not a single word mentioned about this. What hypocrisy is this? One of the letters gave instructions for approval. Yet nothing is said about it,” he said.
