Public access to govt contracts available from 2027 - PM

The public will be able to access details of government projects from next year, as all government contracts are set to be made transparent, said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

This follows the Government Procurement Act coming into force next year, which will allow communities to scrutinise whether developments in their areas are carried out responsibly.

"From next year, every single contract, building schools or hospitals or universities or roads, must be fully transparent.

"Who wins the contract, what's the amount, which company gets the contract, what's the cost, what's the progress, and why this company won against other competitors.

"That is going to be very transparent; everybody can read and see," the New Straits Times quoted him as saying.

Anwar said that safeguards against leakages had enabled the government to increase spending on essential sectors, including education, healthcare, gig workers and young graduates.

However, he also lamented the billions of ringgit squandered, which could have been channelled towards education, while criticising those who invoke race and religion to deflect their wrongdoing.

"You chose to squander billions on your family account, and when this is exposed, you talk about Malay survival and Islam," he said.

To illustrate the benefits of greater transparency, Anwar cited a secondary school project in Tumpat, Kelantan, saying residents should be able to obtain details about the development.

"Let the people of Tumpat then see for themselves if the school is being built by responsible contractors or not. This is going to be the new Malaysia I'm talking about," he said.

Getting green light

The Government Procurement Act was passed by Parliament last year despite objections from some backbenchers, the opposition, and civil society groups.

Anwar had at the time argued that the bill is critical to prevent a repeat of past financial scandals such as 1MDB and entails a procurement framework for federal and state governments.

Among others, the law outlines tiers of who can sign off on procurement contracts based on their value. It also requires conflict of interest disclosures.

However, critics have voiced concerns about wide discretionary powers granted to the finance minister under the law, including the power to approve contracts and make exemptions.

They also argue that the Appeals Tribunal proposed under the law as a check and balance mechanism is weak and susceptible to influence from the finance minister, who will be appointing the tribunal members.

Proponents of the law have argued that the law contains safeguards, such as ensuring that tribunal members do not have conflicts of interest, including on a familial basis.

Further, all Appeals Tribunal proceedings are open to the public.

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