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Update5
Investigate Asia Mobiliti deal if there’s a report, says Anwar
Lynelle Tham-28 May 2024, 12:24 PM
The prime minister says if a case is established, it should be treated like any other.
Asia Mobiliti and Badanbas Coach were appointed by the Selangor government last October to provide demand-responsive transit services in the state under the Selangor Mobility programme. (Asia Mobiliti pic)
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says an investigation can be conducted into the award of a transport-related project to a startup linked to a minister’s husband if a report has been lodged.
Anwar said the matter should then be handled transparently by the authorities.
“If there is a report, there will be an investigation, and there should be an explanation,” he told reporters after attending the Global Forum on Islamic Economics and Finance here today.
“It should be treated like any normal case that warrants an investigation.”
The prime minister was asked to comment on the concerns raised by various quarters on a possible conflict of interest in the Selangor government’s appointment of a company linked to the husband of youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh for a transit system.
Asia Mobility Technologies Sdn Bhd (Asia Mobiliti) was selected alongside Badanbas Coach for the demand-responsive transit (DRT) service to provide first- and last-mile public transport services within the state.
The company’s CEO is Ramachandran Muniandy, Yeoh’s husband.
However, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Azam Baki said the agency would not probe the matter as it was not an offence.
Yesterday, an anti-corruption group called on Anwar and Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari to intervene in the award of the project.
Asia Mobiliti had defended its involvement in the DRT service, saying only two companies in the country are qualified to provide the service it gives.
The company said an open tender in the appointment process for the Selangor Mobility programme, a “highly specialised new service”, would have created a monopoly in the state.
Selangor investment, trade and mobility committee chairman Ng Sze Han also defended the state government’s decision to select Asia Mobiliti to run the DRT system, alongside Badanbas Coach.
Update4
Bersatu tells Anwar to break silence amid storm involving minister's husband
The party reminds the prime minister of his public statements in which he promised to abolish direct negotiations.
May 27, 2024 3:22 PM2
Anwar Ibrahim reminded of his promise to completely do away with direct negotiations for government projects as a storm continues over a company led by Hannah Yeoh's husband being awarded a project without going through open tender process.
Bersatu has joined the chorus of criticism against the Selangor government's decision to award a state project to a company helmed by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh's husband, saying it not only goes against Pakatan Harapan's election manifesto but also clearly breached the prime minister's promise to do away with direct negotiations.
"This award by the Selangor government contravenes transparency, good governance and PM Anwar Ibrahim’s repeated public undertakings that there will be no more direct negotiation," said Sasha Lyna Abdul Latif of Bersatu's Legal & Constitution Bureau.
Asia Mobility Technologies Sdn Bhd, a company founded by Yeoh's husband Ramachandran Muniandy and pro-Pakatan Harapan portal Malaysiakini founder Premesh Chandran, is one of two companies appointed by the PH-led Selangor government to provide demand responsive transit (DRT) services in four localities under the Selangor Mobility programme.
At the centre of the issue is not only the PH connection, but also the fact that the contract was awarded without a public tender.
It is seen as the latest in a series of appointments by PH at state and federal levels related to cronyism.
Shortly after his appointment to top office in November 2022, Anwar told staff of the Prime Minister's Department that approvals for government procurements under his leadership can no longer be made without tender as part of efforts to stop leakage and corruption.
Anwar had previously reiterated that the government would "completely halting direct negotiations" for government procurements.
Sasha questioned Anwar's "complete silence" in relation to the Yeoh controversy.
"In the public interest, Anwar must explain how and why the contract was awarded by direct negotiations to a company whose CEO is the spouse of a member of his Cabinet."
Sasha also hit out at the threat of legal action by Asia Mobility.
"This is uncalled for and is unacceptable. The public have every right to ask for explanations on government procurement which involves expenditure of public funds. The discussion is in the interest of the public and cannot be shut down.
"The issue is larger than Asia Mobility, it involves promises and undertaking made by the PM and the political coalition which forms the federal government as well as the Selangor state government."
Update3
Intervene in Asia Mobility deal, TI-M tells Anwar, Amirudin
FMT Reporters-27 May 2024, 04:13 PM
Transparency International Malaysia says the decision to pick the companies through direct negotiation goes against ‘what the Madani government has been preaching’.
Transparency International Malaysia said the Selangor government should have carried out a ‘proper transparent tender process’ in the selection of the companies to run the demand-responsive transit system project in the Klang Valley.
PETALING JAYA: An anti-corruption group is calling for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari to intervene in the awarding of a transport-related project to a start-up linked to a minister’s husband.
Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) said the state government’s decision to award a new demand-responsive transit (DRT) system project in the Klang Valley to Asia Mobility Technologies Sdn Bhd through direct negotiation went against “what the Madani government has been preaching”.
“We urge the state government to do a proper transparent tender process before it affects the people’s perceptions of the government’s commitment to reforms and anti-corruption,” it said in a statement today.
TI-M questioned why a tender for the project was not carried out, adding that the issue would put youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh in bad light.
Yeoh’s husband, Ramachandran Muniandy, is the CEO of Asia Mobility.
“It (the issue) will put her in a very difficult position,” it said.
Earlier today, Asia Mobility defended its involvement in Selangor’s new DRT service, saying only two companies in the country were qualified to provide the service it gives.
It said an open tender in the appointment process for the Selangor Mobility programme, a “highly specialised new service”, would have created a monopoly in the state.
“This would have stifled competitiveness and robbed the state of the opportunity to pilot the service in a real-world setting and assess the service providers’ performance over a reasonable period of time,” it said.
Yesterday, Asia Mobility co-founder Premesh Chandran gave an assurance “everything is above board” and that the company would not partake in anything unethical or underhanded.
Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Azam Baki said this morning that the agency will not investigate a possible conflict of interest in the appointment of Asia Mobility.
The other company selected for the project is Badan Bas Coach Sdn Bhd.
Update2
MACC won’t probe Asia Mobility deal with S’gor govt
Elill Easwaran-27 May 2024, 11:54 AM
Azam Baki says it is not an offence for a firm linked to youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh to be awarded a contract by the Selangor government.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Azam Baki says it will not probe a possible conflict of interest in the Selangor government’s appointment of a company linked to the husband of youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh for a transit system.
Questions arose on the possibility of preferential treatment following revelations that Asia Mobility Sdn Bhd was one of the two companies the state government handed out the project without going through an open tender. The company’s CEO, Ramachandran Muniandy, is Yeoh’s husband.
When asked whether MACC would probe the deal, Azam said it was not an offence for Asia Mobility to be awarded a contract by the Selangor government.
“In terms of the law, if someone gets a contract or benefits from any government entity, but that individual has nothing to do with that entity… Then it’s not an offence,” he told reporters at an event here.
“Her (Yeoh’s) husband got a contract from the Selangor government and she (Yeoh) is the youth and sports minister, so there’s no link.
“The contract was given by a different entity which has nothing to do with Hannah. If the ministry awarded her husband’s company a contract, then that’s a different story.”
Earlier today, Asia Mobility defended its involvement in Selangor’s new demand-responsive transit service, saying only two companies in the country are qualified to provide the service it gives.
In a statement, Asia Mobility said an open tender in the appointment process for the Selangor Mobility programme, a “highly specialised new service”, would have created a monopoly in the state.
“This would have stifled competitiveness and robbed the state of the opportunity to pilot the service in a real-world setting and assess the service providers’ performance over a reasonable period of time,” it said.
Asia Mobility was selected alongside Badan Bas Coach for the DRT service to provide first- and last-mile public transport services within the state.
Update1
Open tender in Selangor’s DRT service would’ve created monopoly, says Asia Mobility
FMT Reporters-27 May 2024, 10:23 AM
The company defends its appointment as one of only two firms selected for involvement in the Selangor Mobility programme.
Asia Mobility Technologies Sdn Bhd claimed it remains the only company with a made-in-Malaysia system designed and developed as part of its Trek platform. (Asia Mobiliti pic)
PETALING JAYA: Asia Mobility Technologies Sdn Bhd today defended its involvement in Selangor’s new demand-responsive transit (DRT) service, saying only two companies in the country are qualified to provide the service it gives.
In a statement, Asia Mobility said an open tender in the appointment process for the Selangor Mobility programme, a “highly specialised new service”, would have created a monopoly in the state.
“This would have stifled competitiveness and robbed the state of the opportunity to pilot the service in a real-world setting and assess the service providers’ performance over a reasonable period of time,” it said.
Questions arose on the possibility of preferential treatment in the tender process following revelations that Asia Mobility CEO Ramachandran Muniandy is the husband of youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh.
Asia Mobility was one of two companies selected for the DRT service to provide first- and last-mile public transport services within the state.
On Friday, Selangor investment, trade and mobility committee chairman Ng Sze Han said the two companies – Asia Mobility and Badan Bas Coach – were selected to run the system after a presentation to the state transport committee and based on their experience in rolling out their proof of concept.
Asia Mobility said that as a pioneer of DRT in Malaysia with its Trek Rides app, the company had conducted a private pilot of the service in Petaling Jaya in September 2021 for the relevant stakeholders and clients, which it claimed was widely reported at the time.
The company said it was the first to be licensed by the Land Public Transport Agency to operate a “bus-on-demand” service in December 2022, and that it remained the only company with a made-in-Malaysia system designed and developed as part of its Trek platform.
Asia Mobility also noted that the appointment was only for a period of nine months.
“We regularly bid for tenders and, like any other competitive business, we are successful with some and not so successful with others.
“Being a highly transparent and ethical business which is an extension of the personal values of our co-founders, we abhor collusion and anti-competitive practices by any party, especially government agencies and corporates,” it said.
The company also said that it took the recent accusations seriously and would exercise its legal options, calling the allegations an “unsubstantiated attack against a Malaysian technology start-up”.
Calls for transparency? What say DAP?
KUALA LUMPUR, May 26, 2024: A multi-billion-Ringgit Selangor state government project was awarded to a company helmed by Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh Tseow Suan’s husband.
Rightly, this has raised questions whether the awarding of one of the two transit system projects, via direct tender, to Asia Mobility Technologies Sdn Bhd was based on favouritism.
Segambut MP Yeoh’s husband, Ramachandran Muniandy, is the company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
The DAP politician was Selangor State Assembly’s 10th Speaker from June 2013 to April 2018 and Subang Jaya assemblyman from March 2008 to May 2018.
When DAP was in the Opposition, in every government project award that was given via direct negotiations, it would cry out for transparency.
Now, others are calling for the same!
No News Is Bad News reproduces below a news report on the alleged alarming lack of transparency in the Selangor government’s award of a multi-billion project to Yeoh’s husband:
“Alarming lack of transparency in Selangor state govt’s award of multi-billion project to Hannah Yeoh’s husband”
By R. Bala
IT IS the same old story regardless of administration. A complete lack of transparency and seeming abuse of process where connections rule.
This was the scathing observation by the United Rights of Malaysian Party’s (Urimai) secretary-general Satees Muniandy over the award of two transit system projects by the Selangor state government through direct negotiations instead of an open tender process.
More damningly, the former DAP Bagan Dalam state assemblyman pointed out that one of the companies is Asia Mobility Technologies Sdn Bhd whose CEO is the husband of Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh – Ramachandran Muniandy. The other companies offered the project was Badan Bas Coach Sdn Bhd.
Satees claimed this was unbecoming for the Madani administration which had previously championed the open tender process to promote greater transparency.
In a media statement, he urged Selangor Chief Minister Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari to launch investigations into the entire tender process and whether any favouritism was involved.
Satees Muniandy
Meanwhle, the Selangor DAP state executive council member for Investment, Trade and Mobility Ng Sze Han has defended the award of the project by contending that it was approved by the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) and federal regulators for Demand-Responsive Transit (DRT).
Ng added that both companies—Asian Mobility Technologies and Badan Bas Coach—had presented their concepts satisfactorily to the Selangor state transport committee for their selection.
However, Ng skirted the issue of the award of the project to a company that was helmed by Ramachandran who is Yeoh’s husband.
Ng Sze Han
Satees, however, quite rightly pointed out that surely the relationship between the CEO and a serving minister would have been abundantly clear to the state selection committees.
The 39-year-old who was dropped by the DAP at last year’s Penang state elections argued that even if Asia Mobility Technologies had met the necessary appointment criteria, it was morally wrong to grant the award given the relationship.
Ng’s statement was also seized upon by Selangor PAS Youth chief Sukri Omar who chided the Madani administration for turning a blind eye to this obvious “conflict of interest”.
Sukri Omar
“One of Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) promises under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s government is to ensure that only open tenders and requests for proposals (RFPs) are implemented,” reminded Sukri who is also the Selangor Perikatan Nasional (PN) Youth chief.
“Moreover, after becoming PM, Anwar stressed that the government would not engage in direct negotiations unless they are security-related projects.”
Thus, Satees alleged that the award of the said project to Asian Mobility Technologies smacks of the state government’s tolerance of nepotism, favouritism, and cronyism.
“I am not sure about the details of second company, Badan Bas Coach,” justified the former Seberang Perai Municipal Council member.
“Perhaps there is a need for the Selangor state government to investigate this company about the individuals involved and whether there is favouritism in the award of the project.” – May 25, 2024 Focus Malaysia
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