Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is willing to face a graft charge if this is the price to pay for bypassing a financial procedure that has saved the state more than RM500,000 in public funds.

lim guan eng penang cable car event 191208 04 Referring to the recently completed Penang Hill railway upgrading project, he said he had learnt that the state government has to adhere to the Financial Procedures Act when awarding contracts.

However, in the railway project, the state government had bypassed the rule to award the contract to a company that was said to have submitted a tender with a lower price, but quality work and shorter completion period.

Prior to that, the state had received bids ranging from nearly RM1 million to RM1.3 million from three different companies.

Under the financial procedures and open tender system, the state government should have awarded the contract to most viable bid – in this case. the RM1.3 million tender.

However, Lim decided against this and offered the contract to another company to carry out the project for a mere RM600,000, to save more than RM500,000. The project was completed by early December last year.

“The financial officers told me that they had to follow the rules, so I signed to change the award and get the job done by saving the people’s money,” Lim said after an hour-long meeting with the state-level Malaysian Commission for Anti-Corruption.

“If I am to be charged for it, I am willing to face this because I did it in good faith. The new anti-corruption law actually gave me a loophole to do so. It was not a conflict of interest. It was done in good faith to save public money and the new law allows it.”

latifah md yatim penang aca chief probe landscam 031108 03 The three-member team, led by state director Latifah Md Yatim (left) , included her deputy Idrus Jaafar and Seberang Jaya branch chief Yaacop Angah.

Speaking generally, Latifah said a public officer is liable to a jail term up to10 years and a maximum fine of RM100,000 upon conviction, if they fail to report anyone offering a bribe.

Members of the public face up to two years’ jail and a maximum fine of RM10,000 if they fail to report public officers who seek a bribe in the performance of their duties.

Questions for Ong

Lim, meanwhile, took a swipe at Transport Minister and MCA head Ong Tee Keat for not being in control of his own ministry.

This is because Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has overruled Ong’s announcement on the low-cost carrier terminal project in Labu.

labu lcct low cost carrier terminal airport 070109 When announcing it last November, Ong had claimed that the project had been approved by the cabinet.

However, Najib said recently that the cabinet had never approved the project and that it had been suspended due to financial constraints.

Lim chided Ong for “not doing his homework” and loss of control over his own ministry.

“I would believe Najib because he is the deputy premier. Perhaps Najib should replace Ong as the transport minister,” he said, also questioning Ong’s credibility as a minister.

“If I want to get a transport-related project done in Penang next time, who I should meet? Ong or Najib?, asked Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general.

“Even if Ong says ‘yes’ to my proposal, will it be a real ‘yes’? Or would I have to wait for approval from a higher authority?”