Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said his administration does not entertain support letters from elected representatives endorsing businesses for government projects.

"There is no need for such a practice of issuing support letters as government projects are given under the open tender system," he said in a statement today.

In line with the state's "Competency, Accountability and Transparency (CAT)" principle, government contracts are awarded through a online application system.

lim guan eng comments on keshvinder quit dap 160610 This, explained Lim ( right ), minimised contacts between government officers and contractors.

"CAT governance and the open tender system have won praise not only from Class-F (bumiputera) contractors, who have an equal opportunity to win government jobs, but also from Transparency International.

"This is the first time that any government in Malaysia has received praise from Transparency International," he added.

Other support letters allowed

However, Lim said, elected representatives were allowed to issue support letters for welfare assistance, appeals for reduction in summonses and compounds, applications for hawkers' licences, education loans and scholarships.

"However such letters of support will still be subject to existing rules," said Lim.

Support letters do not mean automatic approval, since government agencies and departments must still evaluate applications based on merits and needs.

Lim's statement comes in the wake of the controversy in Pakatan Rakyat-controlled Selangor, where a local councillor from DAP has been accused of abusing the letterhead of a state executive council member to issue support letters for businesses tendering for state government jobs.

The controversy involves Klang municipal councillor Tee Boon Hock, who is accused of misusing state exco member Ronnie Liu's letterheads.

The matter is being investigated by the state and the police.