It is confirmed! Maintenance and replacement works being carried out on the security system at Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's official residence will cost the government RM20 million.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz confirmed the disclosure made by Tan Kok Wai (DAP-Cheras) in a written reply received by the MP today.

"The maintenance and replacement of security system at Seri Perdana costs RM19,570,000," Nazri said in the reply, a copy of which was obtained by malaysiakini .

Justifying the whopping amount, Nazri said it was necessary in order to enhance the security system at Seri Perdana with a more complete system equipped with the latest technology.

"It will be a technology which will hardly encounter disturbance, easier to maintain and with a more conducive control room for security guards who are on duty 24 hours."

Latest technology

Nazri explained that the current security equipments have to be replaced because they were obsolete and it was difficult to find replacement parts. They have been regularly discharging 'false alarm' and does not function as an integrated system.

"The technology used before 1999 is unsuitable for a high-risk complex like Seri Perdana from the security perspective," added the minister in the reply.

The reply also listed down the items of the works ( see chart ) totalling the RM20 million, which were similar to what was revealed by Tan during his debate on the budget last Thursday.

Tan had questioned why the works hit the RM20 million mark, especially when some 30 percent were them uses local products. He also questioned the tender process and why only one company was chosen to handle the whole project.

"The prime minister, as the top executive in the country, deserves the best security system at his residence. But is there something suspicious about the unusually high quotation?" he queried.

The opposition politician also questioned why the system needed to be replaced so soon as Seri Perdana, a sprawling complex covering an area of 16 hectares located in the federal administrative capital Putrajaya, was only completed in 1999.

Elaborating on the tender process, Nazri stated in the reply that the project was awarded through direct negotiation to a Shah Alam-based company, Tokai Lighting Protection Sdn Bhd, after obtaining an approval from the Finance Ministry.

"The company was chosen because it was able to provide a security system which is complete, the latest and fulfill the security criterion for high-risk places," the minister asserted, adding that the company is an international one.

Tokai Lighting Protection, a subsidiary to Tokai Engineering (M) Sdn Bhd was set up in 1999 and is registered as a bumiputera-status company. The company received support from United Kingdom-based electrical component supplier Furse.

"The advice and views from the government security chief's office has been taken into account before the new system is installed at the Seri Perdana complex.

Astronomical sums

He added that government officials and engineers continuously monitored the installation of the new security system.

Last November, Nazri revealed that the government had spent RM15.81 million for renovations at the Seri Perdana complex last year and the maintenance cost for the whole complex came up to RM2.9 million a year.

The construction cost for Seri Perdana has however remained a mystery so far as the government has been giving a different set of figures ranging from RM17 million to RM201 million.

Former deputy premier and finance minister Anwar Ibrahim had alleged that it cost the taxpayers RM200 million to build Seri Perdana.