The company initially contracted to manage the controversial e-Kesihatan system is now seeking RM103 million from the government - for reneging on the deal.

Supremme Systems Sdn Bhd (SSSB) has demanded the sum after the company was forced to cancel the agreement when the government decided to own and run the system itself.

lajim ukin "On Sept 19 last year, SSSB cancelled the (e-Kesihatan) agreement with the government and demanded that we pay them RM103 million in compensation," Deputy Transport Minister Lajim Ukim told the Dewan Rakyat today.

"As much as RM32,917,540 million (has been sought) for commercial losses and RM70 million for damage to reputation," he said in response to a question from Chua Tee Yong (BN-Labis).

However, the deputy minister said the government is mulling over whether to settle or consider a legal challenge. "We will decide if we are going to pay SSSB the compensation or not."

Met with stiff resistance

The e-Kesihatan system announced in September last year met with stiff resistance from affected parties.

Transport company drivers and attendants claimed that the RM80 medical check fee was exorbitant when compared to the present RM10 to renew their public services vehicles (PSV), goods driving vehicles (GDL) and conductor (KON) licenses.

It is estimated that 700,000 individuals need to renew these licences annually.

Following public outcry, e-Kesihatan was suspended pending review by the cabinet in late September last year but Lajim today said the government has decided to proceed with the idea.

"After a meeting with various quarters on Oct 14 this year, the ministry has decided that we would develop the system ourselves and have JPJ (Road Transport Department) study the possibility of integrating the system with its computer network system," he said.

Monitoring campus polls

khaled nordin Meanwhile, Higher Education Minister Khaled Nordin while delivering his Budget 2009 ministerial winding up speech today defended university authorities’ decision to disallow the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) to monitor campus elections.

He said it was unnecessary for Suhakam to act as an independent monitoring body as university authorities were "clever and smart enough" to manage campus polls without affecting the integrity of the elections.

Khaled was replying to Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah) who alleged that most university authorities in the country were pro-government.

She also cited past incidents where 'anti-establishment' students were punished for their political leanings.

"What you are referring to are minor incidences. You cannot generally summarise everything based on them," responded the deputy minister.