PAS man questions how Transport Ministry picked car inspection firms

Summary

• PAS member Nurul Islam Mohammed Yusoff questioned how the Transport Ministry picked three companies to carry out vehicle inspections.

• Nurul Islam pointed out that one of the companies is only eight months old, while two others did not appear to have any relevant experience in the field.

A PAS member has questioned how Transport Minister Anthony Loke and his ministry chose the three companies it had appointed to carry out vehicle inspections.

Nurul Islam Mohammed Yusoff said while he supported the government’s move to break Puspakom’s monopoly on vehicle inspections, he questioned the backgrounds of the companies appointed.

This is because none of the three companies selected have a proven track record in the automotive sector, he said.

“How can the ministry appoint a new company, companies without relevant experience to inspect vehicles which will involve the lives and safety of road users,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday.

Lack of relevant experience

Based on Companies Commission records - which Malaysiakini has cross-checked - Nurul Islam pointed out that Pakatan Petroleum Sdn Bhd and Beriman Gold Sdn Bhd both were involved in business unrelated to automotive.

Pakatan Petroleum’s business is trading petroleum, gas, and related business, while Beriman Gold is involved in construction, telecommunication and multimedia, and security and IT systems.

Meanwhile, the third company - Wawasan Bintang Sdn Bhd - listed inspection of motor vehicles as its business.

However, Nurul Islam said the company is only eight months old and has no public track record.

“My search has not turned up any company experience in the automotive field,” he said.

Further, he questioned how an eight-month-old company that has not yet filed its financial statement and audit reports prove that it has solid financials.

Solid financials were one of the key criteria Loke mentioned when selecting the companies.

The other criteria mentioned were having at least RM10 million paid-up capital, being locally owned, and complying with the motor vehicle inspection service application guidelines.

Nurul Islam further questioned why Wawasan Bintang was awarded three locations while the other two companies were only given two locations each.

Loke announced the appointment of the three companies last Friday.

He is reported as saying that unsuccessful applicants failed to meet strict criteria, including avoiding conflicts of interest in vehicle repair, trading, or modification services.

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