KUALA LUMPUR, July 23: Rafizi Ramli claims that the Election Commission (EC) is trying to hide something about the awarding of contract to three companies to supply caps to the commission.
Rafizi, who is also the PKR Strategy Director, claimed that Mohamed Salleh Mohd Ali is believed to have placed his own wife and trustworthy staff in the three companies as proxies.
“If the EC wants to give three contracts to the same company, why not do it openly, instead they are trying to hide behind the names of three companies belonging t the same person.
“The EC’s decision to award (contracts) to three different companies, owned by the same person, gives the impression that the awarding of this direct negotiation contract is trying to be hidden from public knowledge,” said Rafizi in a press conference at the PKR headquarters this morning.
The companies are Nash Venture Sdn Bhd ( Company No. 623462-x), the Director being Shamsia Binti Omar, as quoted by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, in Parliament on 17 July.
Shamsia is believed to be the wife of Mohamed Salleh because their address on their respective identification cards is the same and they also have the same passion and interests.
“They (Shamsia and Mohamed Salleh) are the holders of 66 coded identification cards which show that they are permanent residents of this country,” said Rafizi.
Meanwhile, Norsiah Binti Yusoff is a shareholder in two other companies that were awarded contracts to supply caps to the EC; Ayumi Resources Sdn Bhd and Bumi Services (or Bumi Textiles Sdn Bhd as mentioned by the Minister in Parliament).
Rafizi’s investigation also found that Norsiah is actually the chief of staff in many companies owned by Mohamed Salleh.
Rafizi also claimed that the awarding of contracts via direct negotiations to the three companies do not comply with the Procurement Application Guidelines in Direct Negotiations as stated in the circular issued by the National Treasury.
Stated in the guidelines, there is set five criteria that allows direct negotiation contracts to be implemented, they are – urgent necessity, for the purpose of standardisation, a source of supplies/services, involves security/strategic issues and contract with bumiputera companies.
“None of the guidelines issued by the Treasure was met in the direct negotiations to supply the caps, for example, for the purpose of standardisation, it can be standardised through various suppliers through the specifications given by the EC, it does not involve patents or franchises and it is not a strategic security good,” added Rafizi.
Rafizi also said that the total value of the direct negotiations contract received by Mohamed Salleh is estimated at RM6 million.
“In Parliament, the value of the contract was not answered by the Minister, but it can be estimated to be around RM6 million if the cost of a cap is RM20 multiplied by 300,000 caps,” he added.
