Why no open tenders in Kedah?

Kedah Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang today asked why the Pakatan-led Kedah state government failed to adhere its Buku Jingga on open tenders.

Buku Jingga is Pakatan’s a long-term administration master plan presented in 2010, promising to implement them should they takeover the Federal Government in 13th general election.

“Pakatan promised open tenders in its Buku Jingga. So, why haven’t they implemented it in Kedah?” asked Tan during a meeting with the press at PKR headquarters this morning.

“What is (Pakatan de facto leader) Anwar Ibrahim going to do to rectify this matter? He has to give clear answers so that the people are familiar Pakatan’s policies.”

Tan was referring to two development projects in Kedah – Aman Central worth RM500 million and Amansuri Residences worth RM109.55 million which were awarded without open tenders.

Aman Central involves a 750,000 square-foot land in Alor Setar given by the Kedah State Economic Development Corporation (PKNK) to Penang-based Belleview Group of Companies.

The land, acquired by PKNK, was initially the site for the Plaza Tunku Yaacob project which took off in 1981 and subsequently abandoned several years later.

Tan said he had raised this issue in the media last week but Kedah’s PAS Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak refused to stop the project and did not reply to his queries.

“He also said that no money transaction took place so there was no need for an open tender. Doesn’t it involve money for the state government to acquire the land ?” asked Tan.

Tan revealed that the land for the Amansuri Residences project was owned by Bina Darulaman Berhad, a subsidiary company owned by PKNK.

He said Bina Darulaman Berhad also handed a condominium development project to Belleview and the main contractor is another PKNK subsidiary- Kedah Sato Sdn Bhd.

Tan claimed that Azizan also refused respond to questions on this project since piling work has already begun.

When asked by the press if he had sent a memorandum to PAS headquarters, he said: “It is a waste of time because Azizan doesn’t want to entertain my queries.”

Tan added he also has not approached the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate this issue because he had no evidence of corruption.

Tan later handed over a memorandum and related documents on both the projects to Najwan Halimi, Anwar’s aide.