SPECIAL REPORT The maintenance of the facilities in public hospitals in Malaysia, otherwise known as hospital support services (HSS), had been outsourced to private companies since 1996, when 15-year concessions were awarded to several companies.

These concessions were worth a total of RM7.5 billion, economist Chan Chee Khoon told Malaysiakini, adding that one of the companies had its contract renewed in 2015 for another 10 years.

These concessions were "negotiated tenders", he explained, adding that they are not awarded through an open, competitive bidding process.