We heard so much news about the failed bid of Balfour Beatty consortium for the past few weeks.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat had not been shy in organising weekly press conferences to disseminate information to the ignorant public about the alleged abuses of power and corruption that are plaguing our country. All these apparently are committed and perpetuated by the Umno (not Barisan Nasional) government.
PKR’s ever loyal lackey, Rafizi Ramli has been given the unenviable task of exposing all these alleged corruption which almost always would land him in hot soup. This is due to the fact that all his exposures were either done unethically or the facts he presented were flimsy at best and filled with conjectures or with extrapolation of assumptions.
The latest episode is about the Ampang line LRT extension project which was according to PKR, was initially won by Balfour Beatty consortium. It was reported in his 13th July press conference that Balfour Beatty is the best contractor for this job.
Rafizi has repeatedly accused the prime minister of interfering in the tender bid and granting the multimillion contract to George Kent, which had scored one of the lowest points in the technical and commercial evaluation for the project, but has not shown proof until this week.
This was despite an earlier decision by Putrajaya to award the multi-million ringgit rail project to Balfour Beatty-Invensys Consortium, which Rafizi said was best qualified for the job.
He implies that there is something wrong with the tender process and accused the Prime Minister as intervening the selection process. His main contention was how could George Kent be given the contract and not Balfour although the latter apparently scored higher than the former in the tender evaluation process.
He is astonished that contractors recommended by Syarikat Prasarana were not selected by the Ministry of Finance’s Tender Committee. Furthermore, Rafizi assumed that the selection of contractors can be done at the whims of MOF. This had riled him up and PKR as a political party is not happy with it, to the point of making this an election issue.
Hence they are making so much noise due to the fact that a contractor had lost the contract to a rival company.
But it is equally astonishing that Rafizi and PKR did not even utter a word of protest when in one of the initial rounds of the tender process, Balfour Beatty was rumoured to receive this contract eventhough a South Korean consortium (PDA Consortium) were highly recommended by Prasarana.
An average observer can note that Rafizi had been silent about this issue a few months ago. Especially when his favourite contractor seemingly got the contract. But that changed a few months later.
His first press conference came in late June 2012 when, like a jilted lover, lambasted Prime Minister for snatching the contract right under Balfour’s nose and giving it to George Kent consortium.
Now lets review the point of contention from Rafizi on why George Kent shouldn’t get this contract. He claimed that George Kent had scored one of the lowest points in the technical evaluation process (although initially he said George Kent failed the process). He also claimed that George Kent’s bid were higher than Balfour’s.
We would like to believe he is honest and selfless
Thirdly and this is quite tedious, superficial and superfluous; George Kent has a partner which had made business transactions with one of the business partners in a Scorpene deal more than 10 years ago. A professional consultant that advises the tender process, Halcrow even said that “it is not confident that the George Kent consortium can carry out the project”.
In actual fact, George Kent – Lionpac is one of the 28 companies that submitted their tender documents and pre-qualified for the job. Balfour Beatty – Ingress consortium is another company that had a chance to win this job.
Notwithstanding the points received by the Korean PDA consortium, George Kent received 38.62 out of 70 points on technical. All participants of the tender must meet the passing mark of at least 35 to qualify for the next stage. Notably, Balfour Beatty scored higher. And at this point of time, Geroge Kent was third lowest bidder out of 8 shortlisted.
Ostensibly, George Kent failed the financial aspect (scoring 8.7 out of 30 points) but this was due to late submission of evidences on their financial strength and position. When their cash and funding position was finally evaluated by MOF, George Kent eventually scored higher financially and passed in that aspect. This fact was neglected by Rafizi and PKR and was not included in any of their press conferences.
Therefore, it is unfair to say that George Kent do not deserve this project. In fact, when the project was awarded, George Kent made statements to rebut all the allegations that it is not worthy of such project. In the end, the cost of the project given is even similar to what Balfour was rumoured to bid; at RM956 million.
We all know, and this can be the same in all states, Pakatan or otherwise, that the winner of a tender process is not necessarily the ones that received the highest mark or bidding with the lowest cost.
It is also a moot point to delve into the role of Halcrow in the tender process although it is quite strange to see that the role of giving independent advice on the tender process went to a company which had a lot of business ties with Balfour Beatty. Maybe Halcrow had declared this beforehand and the MOF sees nothing wrong with it. Moot point.
Please note that Prasarana is 100% owned by the MOF and it is only logical that all strategic decisions are made by the shareholder. And selection of contractors fall within the ambit of shareholder’s powers.
Now, what is it about Balfour Beatty which made them receive an utmost support by PKR? The answers could lie in Balfour’s main partner in this consortium – Ingress Corp Bhd.
Ingress’ chairman and chief executive officer is none other than Datuk Rameli Musa. He was Anwar Ibrahim’s schoolmate back in the MCKK days. He is so close to Anwar Ibrahim, he got a grand exoneration and support from the former deputy prime minister against the accusations thrown by Raja Petra back in 2008.
Moreover, Rameli Musa is a fellow trustee in a foundation headed by Anwar Ibrahim. Who knows what other connections he might have. Back during the dizzying heights of Anwar Ibrahim as Deputy Prime Minster, Rameli Musa was vice chairman of Sapura and is reported to be a ‘confidant’ of this glorified heir apparent of Dr Mahathir.
“We lost that contract by only this much”
Obviously with all these connections and the fact that the whole of PKR, with Rafizi as the spokesperson of Anwar Ibrahim are busy defending Balfour and wrongly excoriating Najib just because another company was awarded the project, the coincidence of Ingress – Balfour – PKR cannot be denied. Arguably, Anwar Ibrahim’s LRT project could have been key to fund Pakatan Rakyat’s war chest.
We truly want to believe that Rafizi and PKR are being selfless in trying to expose any wrongdoings by the federal government for the sake of the people. We do want to see that Rafizi could at least present a truthful and honest facts devoid of any ulterior political motives. At the very least we would love to see Rafizi win a debate convincingly.
This remains to be seen.
jebatmustdie 
Bro,
Awat rafizi taknak pertikai apsal anwar bagi projek ERL kat kengkawan dia masa jadi TPM?
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where’s the fact, beb?
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go buy one, bro
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No no no, you should not die.
You should just eat shit for buka puasa
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You sound non-Malay and non-Muslim. Likely to be DAP, which has been anti-Malay and anti-Muslim since inception.
You son of a gun ought to be shot. For trying to make fun of the Malays and their religion.
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It is people like you who started 13 May. Maybe a repeat would be nice. This time we will finish you off. Dont ask for it.
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Do you know how seditious it is making fun of a revered Malay warrior Hang Tuah? And to say eat shit for berbuka puasa?
You ought to be ISA-ed or dragged to Court for Sedition. Clearly instigating, like the DAP did that led to the race riots of 1969. Now using the name beware, like the triad, thug and gangster. Maybe you ought to be shot, too.
I know the ISA has been repealed. I wonder if the replacement would get blokes like you behind bars almost like ISA. But the Sedition Act is still there. I know the Police Special Branch are always on the alert for blokes like you. I hope they get hold of you by the collar some day and drag you to the Court. Dangerous fellow.
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To much freedom has never been good. There must always be limits. There must always be law to come hard on people like them, who instigate hatred. Use foul language. Our country is like heaven but some people can not value what we have.
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Dear sir.
The more things change, the more it stays same.. at least I am concerned, that such exposes made by PKR and gang are accepted as the gospel truth, even without verification et al. At least Rafizi, Anwar and gang are already pandering and kissing up to their paymasters.. that is true politics.
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Nothing beats RockyBru. A real snake. Once so much against the government, but after getting his datukship and malay mail editorship plus several under the table contracts, he has changed his tune!
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Wat dis got to do with the price of salt in Timbuktu? (I refuse to use the standard phraseology about the price of tea in China. After finding out that tea drinking did not originate among the Chinese, but among the Tibetans, a different race from the Chinese. So say the expert.)
Wat you say where got connection with the post title or subject matter, Kadiaq? My thing about tea is not out of topic only slight deviation to add salt to the mee goreng lah!
Give your views about Anwar’s LRT project lah. Even about LRT in general oso can. Never mind even if you say disagreeable views. Promise no criticise you laik dat. Maybe only counter-argue you.
Jangan marah me trying to pretend got Admin duties here. Only wanting to hear more views on the post title lah. Nanti I give mine lah.
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He did not change his tune. He saw the truth. Unlike you pkr dumbbells. Follow the leader blindly.
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Pingback: Anwar Ibrahim’s LRT Project | Stop The Lies
What about george kent’s credential to built the lrt. They are “pengilang meter air” not an lrt builder.
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Saya belom baca sepenuhnya lagi pos itu. Tapi mana kamu tahu jika deme’ tak ada pengalaman lain?
And they can always purchase expertise. What is important is their capacity to organize the work, manage the project, get the funds and the manpower, bring the machines and equipment, complete the work. You got anything that says they can’t?
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George Kent’s ability to perform have been stated in their rebuttal in one of the links above. They are not just a water meter company. Thank you.
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No George Kent is not just a “pengilang meter air.” If you look at their website thoroughly, you will see that they are more accurately described as a water transport management, monitoring and metering systems implementor.
However, agreed that they have not undertaken a rail project before, though Balfour Beaty has a rail subsidiary Balfour Beaty Rail.
Still, the politicisation of this issue can’t be divorced from vested interests.
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Lim Go Thong was not a developer but he developed Genting succesfully. If you have the brain, engaged those who know the stuff. Why u so stupid..
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Rafizi, the whistle blower that got blown. They blew him up for breaching the Banking Act. He got hauled to court.
On this LRT subject, just going by the Malaysian Insider 13 July report for now,
1. the statement “allowed to form multiple partnerships to mount three bids for the lucrative Ampang LRT extension project” – What proof has he got? “He also alleged”, said the report. And only “suggested that the preferential treatment given”. And that “suggestion” “pointed to interference in the selection process by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.” No proof.
Yet, we know, with proof as solid as a rock, that MI published lies that former MAS Chairman Tajuddin Ramli sued them for multi-million Ringgit, that the Editor went weak in the knees, became silent for a few day, later apologised repeatedly in their blog (“news portal? Naaah) and in the mainstream newspapers for several days.
2. “From the list of bidders, no other transport technology suppliers are allowed to send more than one bid, except for Thales,” said Rafizi. Just looking at the list and this chap said the others are “not allowed”? What convoluted logic.
3. Rafizi has “has accused Najib of interference after alleging that the group had not been selected by the bidding panel.” Very clear, the chap is spinning.
4. On Tuesday he showed reporters a copy of a Ministry of Finance approval letter dated last June 25 – he needs to be blown up and hauled to Court again, this time for breaching the Official Secrets Act. A letter prepared well before the announcement date must surely be confidential in nature. Or shot for producing a fake letter designed to cause consternation and public anger.
5. “George Kent, which had scored one of the lowest points in the technical and commercial evaluation for the project” – now, what proof has he got on that? Did he show the evaluation report?
6. “The rail builders led by the British engineering firm were the lowest bidders for the LRT open tender that closed on June 16 last year, offering to take on the project for RM950 million. The highest bid was for RM1.45 billion.”
Now, this is the crux of the matter. Wasn’t that the basis for the project award? Even IF the evaluation report didn’t list the George Kent group as the best in other respects, so long as they were not adjudged as incapable of carrying out the work, surely the award had to go on the basis of lowest price? Damn these Opposition putar belit.
I have more to say, but the above would suffice for now.
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Bloody good post, JMD. Now, here’s more stuff to put down the PKR gutter politics down the drain:
The Opposition blog Malaysian Insider says, “PKR officials have shown copies of official documents to the press, showing that the MoF’s Acquisition Committee, which met this January 25, had decided to award the contract to Balfour Beatty-Invensys Consortium.”
What made them think they were “official documents”? Was the decision made in January, announced in July? Could those documents not be fake? Remember, they even fake USM degrees in Kampar. And other degrees up to PhD in Subang and Cheras. And – to spice this comment a bit – the Dong Zong President Yap uses 2 fake PhDs, as stated in one of the Chinese-owned newspapers when the Dong Zong organised a rally in Kajang earlier this year.
If the documents were not fake, the Rafizi bloke should be prosecuted for breaching the Official Secrets Act. No need to wait for a Police report. MI said PKR had recently lodged a police report on the issue. Just use that as the basis to investigate, trace down the source of the leak in MOF, book both that bugger as well as the PKR bloke. Get him in Court again and again. They must be taught a lesson(s).
Especially when their cohort MI said “the PKR man has pledged to make the Ampang LRT extension contract a major campaign issue at the next general election.”
More to come. These are the anarchistic kind of buggers. Trying to ram lies, deceits, and spins down the throat of the innocent public no matter what. Not respecting laws, rules and regulations, decency and decorum. They must be tackled hard like Opposition rugby players, thrown over the goal posts, right over the spectators, over the fences, into oblivion.
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Thank you Anon for the comment.
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So what if the feds were to award these projects to george kent.? If I am the government of the day , its up to me to choose to my liking what? Especially not to those who are linked to try to oppose me, simple logic mah! Just look at selangor , how they award the contracts to their cronies, from legal firms to beli tanah(PKNS-TALAM), in kelantan awards the tanah balaks to their cronies, failed projects kambing jamnapuri, air kotor, the gold dinars. Last time in perak ,awards of state lands to 99 years, issue jahit baju by their own exco, this is the contract to the exco’s wife lagi. Even the one ringgit gaji man ,when he is in the cabinet he awards to so many of his cronies, even to one of his best cronies wife, tak payah kerja ada driver , jadi pengarah bank lagi. Jangan menyibuk nak bising pasal hal ni lah rafizi and whoever behind him, pusing belakang tungging, tenguk cermin , tenguk lubang punkoq sendiri ada naik stim tak? A clear case of calling the punggung kuali black, lu ada tenguk lu punya punggung. Tak serik ngan case NFC Feedlot, ni nak kena lagi kut?
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Crystal clear.. PKR is surely stand for Parti Kencing Rakyat.. everyday need to auta, wtf! totally useless opposition party in the world. they are cunning as a fox, majority of them king of putar alam and drama queen, extra ordinary opportunist and many more element of bad faith within the party from the president to their coffee boys. hahahah
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and their team members are Dumb Ass party which have a dog named parti auta sokmo.
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Well, it takes a liar to beat a liar. There is not surprise element in pkr exposing LTR bidding tender winner Goerge Kent.Whatever Rafizi told at news conference before was all full of hidden agendas, public knew what Anwar did when he was Deputy PM.Another interesting foray now in the news is the privatisation of Penang Port Authority which had been given to Seaport Terminal (TS Syed Mokhtar AlBulhairy stable) an experienced sea port operator, has now become an issue pick up by Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce who does not to have any experience in running a seaport compared to the former.Why the PCCC all of sudden interested in running a sea port? Your guess is good as mind, who is really behind the scene using a third party as proxy? Balfour-Ingress failure to get the tender will undoubtedly double PKR
effort to character assassinate and insult the intelligence our professionals as well as those experts who had done good due deligence works.Poor PKR spokeperson Rafizi will do anything to please his boss behaving as if he knows all but he knows nothing besides putting himself inline of firing for bad exposures.
ensuring the best got it. Gone werethe days cronyism and who knows who era. What
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There isn’t much surprise in the PKR’s move in exposing George Kent success bid LRT extension project by linking this company to PM and alleging the bid winner incompetency and lack of experience and so fore.What Rafizi was trying to expose is another political ploy of his big boss.Public knows what his boss did when he was a Deputy PM once upon a time.It took a liar to beat a liar.The real reason for all this political wayang is to get their crony company supposedly Balfour-Ingress JV to get the job.Please do not insult the intelegence of the professionals and those experts, they had done good due deligence.Gone are the days of cronyism, PKR boss should be fully aware by now.Or is he still living in Rennaisance years? Interestingly another foray of late is the privatisation of Penang Port Authority,of which it had been given to Seaport Terminal (TS Mokhtar Al Bulhairy company), an experienced sea port operator.Whyall of sudden Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce (PCCC) became interested in running the said sea port
Reportedly, almost all those having business interest with port attended briefing by the privatised operator
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Standard Opposition tactic: find each and everything that can be exploited, twisted and spinned, exploit, twist and spin them. And PKR even has a so-called Strategic Director. They will now exploit the Wistle blowers Act but the last time they exploited, they forgot there was the Banking Act and the Official Secrets Act. It got them being brought into the Court now.
DAP doesn’t need to appoint a Strategic Director. Every other fellow is one. Natural, inborn propensity to exploit, twist and spin. Worse still, accuse and allege wildly without any proof, justification, even explanation. And the triad and gangster mentality blokes simply bulldoze, don’t care what they say. Thanks to NEP, they got whacked back because there are more of us who can do so now, unlike before NEP.
PAS? The misled Mat Sabu kind even say the Mat Indera communists who killed Policemen and burned the Bukit Kepong Police Station, Muar, as heroes. Pathetic.
So, where got logic in their protestations over the LRT matter? They just hoo haa here, there, everywhere. But we’ll whack them back here, there, everywhere.
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