Media Statement By Chong Chieng Jen:
The award of the tenders and contracts for the provision of security services in government schools in Sarawak has totally marginalised and sidelined the Sarawak contractors (security companies), out of a total contract value of RM720 million, Sarawak security companies only managed to get a share of RM63 million contract value.
In September, 2024, the Ministry of Education, through the Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Sarawak, has called for tenders for the provision of security services in all the government schools in Sarawak for the period between 1.1.2025 to 31.12.2027 (36 months).
Under the tender process, all the schools in Sarawak were divided into 243 zones, each zone comprising several schools. The total value of the contracts for the provision of security services in all the schools in the 243 zones for the 36-month period between 1.1.2025 to 31.12.2027 was approximately RM720 million.
Out of the 243 zones, Sarawak security companies only managed to win the tenders for 20 zones, with a total value of RM63,092,736.72.
In terms of percentage of zones, Sarawak security companies only got 20 out of 243 zones (8.23%). In terms of percentage of value of the contract work, the value of work awarded to Sarawak security companies was only RM63,092,736.72 out of a total RM720,385,377.23 (a mere 8.75%)!
For Sarawak security companies to only get a mere 8.75% of contract value for the contract works in our homeland of Sarawak, it is an outright marginalisation of Sarawak security firms in general and the Sarawakians at large. Many security companies from Sarawak who are qualified, experienced and currently active in the security service industry were not awarded any of the contract and were totally left out.
The Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Sarawak, being the implementation agency, the Sarawak Federal Treasury Department, being the tender committee and the Sarawak GPS Government should take full responsibility to ensure that such tenders and contract works should be awarded to local companies.
It is most unfair to the people of Sarawak that our local people can only look on and work as sub-contractors or sub-sub-contractors while the non-Sarawak companies and non-Sarawakians get the first bite and the lion share of the contract works in Sarawak.
Furthermore, for these security companies to meet the tender requirement, they have to do site visits on all the schools that they tender for. In order to make site visit to these schools, these non-Sarawak security companies and their directors would have to first obtain a work permit and working visa from the Sarawak immigration before they can legally carry out their site visits. Have they got their work permits? I am very sure that most of them HAVE NOT and that is a contravention of the Immigration law of Sarawak.
In the premises, I call on the Sarawak immigration to immediately carry out an investigation on the matter.
I also call on the Government to put on hold the implementation of these contract work and a review of the tenders so that at least 50% in terms of value of the contract work go to the Sarawak security companies. Otherwise, the ordinary Sarawakians will remain poor even though the State is rich and those high up in political leadership in Sarawak will continue to stay rich at the expense of the ordinary Sarawakians.
