Loke cancels RM800k contract to write weekly articles for minister

PUTRAJAYA: The Transport Ministry has cancelled a contract worth RM808,000 for the writing of weekly articles by the minister.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook (pic) said the contract was signed on Jan 24, 2018.

“The Transport Ministry officials, who briefed me on this finding, said it was worth about RM808,000, purportedly for a series of weekly articles in a newspaper, to be published in a seven-month period.

“I am not sure what this allocation is exactly, and although it says ministerial communications, the communications team here is unable to discover its actual scope.

“As such, I am cancelling this contract immediately. No money has been paid or demanded by the company involved as yet,” he told a press conference here on Tuesday.

Loke said he had no need to continue the “public relations exercise”, saying he was communicating directly with the media and the public.

“The discovery of this contract shows the unnecessary expenditure by the previous government,” he said.

On the announcement by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad of a possible second national car to replace Proton, Loke declined to comment, saying he will leave it to the Prime Minister to elaborate.

He, however, assured that for the Ministry, public transport would still be a key focus, as it was the way forward.