Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General and MP for Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur on 19.10.2012
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak must address 3 principal issues in the 2011 Auditor-General’s Report to show BN’s commitment towards transparency and accountability as well as dispel MCA’s openly mocking the reports of mismanagement has having no impact on people’s support of BN. Even former MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat attacked his successor Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek today for “mocking” the Auditor-General’s Report by Chua claiming that negative reports would not affect Barisan Nasional’s (BN) support in the next general election.
Dr Chua even went to the extent of saying that if the Auditor-General’s Report had any effect, the BN government would fall every year the report was published. The first issue revealed by the Auditor-General’s Report relates to several massive government contracts and projects that were directly negotiated, affecting the level of trust in government.
The most glaring example was the directly-negotiated RM 12.49 billion Ipoh-Padang Besar double-tracking project that was delayed twice and has incurred an additional RM3.6 billion in costs. Other examples include 1,000 brochure racks worth RM1.95 million for Visit Malaysia Year 2007 bought through direct negotiation by the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board without the Finance Ministry’s approval, and the five billboards worth RM3.64 million that it put up in Indonesia via direct negotiation that are being investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Military family quarters built by the Defence Ministry saw costs nearly double to RM3.2 billion with defects such as collapsed ceilings and leaking sewer pipes. The report found that the majority of the military quarters projects audited were awarded by direct negotiation and that the government waived penalties worth RM 87.12 million for failure to meet contractual obligations.
The latest revelation by the Auditor-General’s Report is in Sarawak where a state-owned company, Sarawak Coal Resources Sdn Bhd awarded contracts for the extraction and transportation of coal ore in Mukah for RM923.03 million to four firms through direct negotiations. No wonder Sarawak Coal Resources Sdn Bhd is recording losses. If open competitive tenders were implemented, all the companies would be likely making profits.
Even Transparency-International Malaysia president Datuk Paul Low said the direct negotiation way of awarding contracts could potentially give rise to problems such as corruption and lack of competition.
The second issue relates to the massive write-off of government loans given to Perwaja Terengganu Sdn Bhd that were unpaid over the last 14-17 years amounting RM 1,626 million. The 2011 Auditor-General’s Report had highlighted that 42 loans given out by the Federal government to companies had loan arrears between 1 to 17 years amounting to a huge sum of RM 3,328 million, an increase of 18.7% compared to RM 2,805 million in 2010.
No action was taken by the Federal government to recover these loan arrears apart from writing off Perwaja’s RM 1,626 million loans over a period of 16 years from 2011 to 2027. Najib must explain the rationale for such a huge write-off when Perwaja is now listed on Bursa Malaysia and is making profits. Writing off huge loans for one company like Perwaja gives a negative impression that cronies get special treatment at the expense of 28 million Malaysians. Again why should cronies have their loans written off but not ordinary Malaysians?
The third issue the Prime Minister must address relates to the exemption of fees for license to contravene given to Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd(IWK) amounting to RM 1,371 million. IWK had applied to the Department of Environment for 3,290 licenses to contravene from 2008-2011 to violate environmental standards in disposal of toxic wastes. Upon approval the license fees required to be paid by IWK amounted to RM1,554 million as at end 2011. However Cabinet gave an exemption of RM 1,371 millon on 21.5.2010, resulting in IWK only needing to pay the remainder RM183 million. Why did Cabinet give IWK this huge exemption at the expense of the environment and without any benefit to Malaysians.
Unless these 3 issues are addressed, BN has clearly adopted Chua Soi Lek’s attitude of ignoring the negative reports in the 2011 Auditor-General’s Report in the belief that there will be no impact on the people’s support. If BN refuses to justify the improprieties and malpractices highlighted in the Auditor-General’s Report, then the people has act to ensure that it is respected instead of being mocked at. Only a change of government can uphold integrity, accountability and transparency in governance and the Auditor-General’s Report.
—Mandarin Version—
民主行动党秘书长兼峇眼区国会议员林冠英于2012年10月19日 在吉隆坡发表声明：
首相必须交代2011年总稽查报告 的三大主要课题，以展现国阵立志打造透明化及具公信力的施政，并驳斥马华公开轻蔑说有关管理失当的问题，并不会影响人民对国阵的支持。
首相必须交代2011年总稽查报告 的三大主要课题，以展现国阵立志打造透明化及具公信力的施政，并驳斥马华公开轻蔑说有关管理失当的问题，并不会影响人民对国阵的支持。就连前马华总会长拿督斯里翁诗杰也批评现任马华总会长拿督斯里蔡细历，指他不该蔑视稽查报告，后者说有关负面的报告并不会影响人民在来届大选对国阵的支持率。
蔡细历也说，如果总稽查报告能够发挥作用，国阵政府每年在报告出炉时都会倒台。总稽查报告揭发的第一项课题 是，数项大型合约、计划都是政府直接洽谈，影响了人民对政府的信任。
最明显的例子就是怡保－巴当巴西尔124亿9000万令吉双轨计划，政府在直接洽商后颁发合约，结果延期两次、造成损失36亿令吉。其它例子包括：配合2007年大马旅游年，以195万令吉购买1000个放置小册子的架子，这是由马来西亚旅游促进局在没有财政部批准下直接购买的，该局也通过直接洽谈，花费364万令吉在印尼放置5个宣传板，目前正被马来西亚反贪委会调查。
由国防部兴建的军人家庭宿舍成本近32亿令吉，却发生天花板坍塌及排污管溢漏的缺陷。报告也指出，大部分稽查司到过的军人宿舍都是在直接洽谈的情况下颁发工程，而政府也不追讨承包商无法履行合约义务的罚款8712万令吉。
总稽查司最近揭发的事是，砂拉越一家政府拥有的公司砂州煤炭资源有限公司，通过直接洽谈，直接发出价值9亿2303万令吉的标书给四家公司，开采并运送Mukah的煤矿。难道砂州煤炭资源有限公司面临亏损。如果他们推行公开招标，看来全部公司都能赚钱。
就连大马国际透明组织主席刘胜权曾说过，直接洽商颁发合约，将令贪污、无竞争力的问题更加严重。
第二个问题是政府将柏华惹登嘉楼有限公司的贷款一笔注销，这笔贷款欠了14－17年，高达16亿2600万令吉。2011年总稽查报告突显42项由联邦发放的贷款，这些未偿贷款拖欠达1－17年 ，高达33亿2800万令吉，比2010年28亿500万令吉高出18.7％。
除了注销柏华惹16年（2011－2027）的贷款，联邦政府还未采取行动追讨这些未还的贷款。 纳吉必须解释，为何政府注销有关巨额贷款？柏花惹目前已经上市、正在赚钱。注销像柏华惹如此公司的巨额贷款，制造了负面印象，让人们认为人民利益可以被牺牲，而朋党可以获得特别优惠。为什么朋党的贷款可以注销，而普通马来西亚人却不能。
第三个课题是，首相必须解释英达丽水私人有限公司为何可以豁免缴付高达13亿7100令吉的“违例执照”（license to contravene）费？英达丽水从2008年至2011年因违法丢弃有毒废料，而向环境局申请豁免缴付3290张“违例执照”费。截至2011年底，英达丽水需缴付的违例执照费达15亿5400令吉。但是，内阁于2010年5月21日 豁免了13亿7100万令吉，以致英达丽水只需付1亿8300万令吉。为什么内阁让英达丽水享有这样的豁免优惠？牺牲我们的环境、对人民也没有好处。
除非当局清楚交代上述问题 ，否则证明国阵已经采取了蔡细历的态度，就是选择回避2011年总稽查报告点出的负面问题，并相信这不会影响人民对国阵的支持。如果国阵不愿意说明白总稽查报告中不正确、不正当的缺点，那么，人民必须行动起来，让这份报告 获得正视，而不是遭轻蔑。唯有改朝换代，才能捍卫总稽查报告及施政的廉正、公信及透明度。
林冠英