Kuching: The Sarawak State Government must come “clear and clean” over the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) recent arrests involving a syndicate suspected of paying bribes to a state-owned subsidiary to secure and monopolise lucrative diesel supply contracts, said DAP Sarawak Chairman Chong Chieng Jen.
It was reported in the news that part of the subsidised diesel meant for the State Government was suspected of being smuggled and diverted to offshore vessels.
As a result of the corruption and the operation by the syndicate as a cartel which has gone on for years, tens of millions of public fund was lost.
Chong urged the Sarawak Government to provide answers and explanations to the following questions for the people of Sarawak:
- What is the state-owned company implicated in this MACC arrest?
- How could the syndicate collude with the State-owned company to monopolise the diesel supply contracts and tenders?
- Why was there no mechanism in the procurement SOPs of the State Government to detect and prevent such monopolisation of the government subsidiaries’ procurement process?
- Who were the government subsidiaries’ officers approving such awards of supply contracts and tenders for all these years, and what actions have been taken against such officers?
- How much in total has the State Government lost as a result of such collusion between the state-owned subsidiary and the syndicate?
- How much of this “stolen money” can be retrieved by the State Government?
- What change in the State Government’s procurement SOPs will be implemented so that such “stealing” can be prevented in future?
Chong stressed that despite the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition’s commanding 80-2 majority in the State Legislative Assembly, the government cannot remain silent or appear to brush aside the issue.
“In this era of information, the State Government should be forthcoming to the public on the information about the scandal of such magnitude and not sweep it under the carpet,” he said.
He added that subsidised diesel was meant to benefit the people of Sarawak and not for profiteering by corrupt officers or criminal syndicates.
“Such illegal operation has deprived many rightful people of Sarawak from buying the subsidised diesel at petrol stations,” he said.
Chong concluded by calling on Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg to provide clear answers and explanations to the people of Sarawak.
