The Anti-Corruption Agency has been urged to open investigation into the allegation by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad who yesterday implicated an unnamed Malaysian leader in a conflict-of-interest situation in selling sand to Singapore.

Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang said today that the ACA can start off the probe by interviewing Mahathir for full details and particulars of his allegation against the unnamed Malaysian leader.

"I challenge the ACA to 'walk the talk' of its new 'pro-active' approach to prevent any misappropriation, delay or graft in projects under the 9MP by opening investigations into the RM250 million quarantine, immigration and customs complex (QIC) landbridge/flyover contract, which has been awarded to Gerbang Perdana Sdn Bhd without tender," he said in a statement.

Lim was responding to ACA deputy director-general Ahmad Said Hamdan's statement yesterday that the agency is taking proactive measures to prevent any misappropriation, delay or graft in projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

Ahmad said that "the ACA will not wait for reports to be lodged before investigating and we will work closely with government departments to avoid any repetition of glitches experienced under the Eighth Malaysia Plan."

Lim also described Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's defence of the award without tender of the RM250 million QIC landbridge/floyover contract to Gerbang Perdana as most unsatisfactory, unconvincing and a disservice to his campaign for transparency and integrity.

"In reply to my question during his winding-up of the 9MP in Parliament yesterday, Abdullah said that not having an open tender for the RM250 million QIC contract is not wrong," he said.

Why the decision

The prime minister explained that the decision was made to expedite the construction and use of the the flyover and "that's why, the decision was made to negotiate directly with the contractor (Gerbang Perdana Sdn Bhd)"

"So whether the government wants to do it through open tender, limited tender, restricted tender or direct negotiation, it's the government's decision and it's not wrong. It's only wrong if people make money (buat duit) from it," Abdullah added.

Responding to Abdullah's statement, Lim asked how he (Abdullah) know whether improper profits had not been made and improper considerations taken into account in the decision-making process, undermining the system of national integrity in the award of the contract without tender?

"Is Abdullah aware that this is probably the first case of "Award Contract First, Submit Design Later" which makes an utter mockery of the very notions of transparency, integrity and good governance?" he added.

Lim also asked whether the prime minister's statement in Parliament yesterday that there is nothing wrong in awarding the new RM250 million CIQ contract to Gerbang Perdana prevent the ACA from acting on its new "proactive" approach to open investigations to ascertain whether there are any malpractices in the extraordinary transaction?