Press secretary: Liow did not approve PR company

PETALING JAYA: It is not true that Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai (pic) approved a public relations company to manage his personal image during his tenure as the Transport Minister.

In refuting the allegation, Liow’s press secretary Lim Chau Leng said the company was actually the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu), a unit under the Prime Minister’s Department.

“As ministries and government agencies were required to report to the people their key performance indicators (KPIs) and overall performance management, the Transport Ministry has commissioned Pemandu to conduct a public interaction programme to let people understand its work and progress.

“It is necessary to clarify this,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (June 12).

Lim was responding to current Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook, saying that his ministry has cancelled a contract worth RM808,000 for the writing of weekly articles by the minister.

Loke said the contract, signed on Jan 24, 2018, was purportedly for a series of weekly articles in a newspaper, to be published in a seven-month period.

Established in 2009, Pemandu was responsible for implementing national KPIs, problem-solving and overall performance management among ministries and government agencies under the previous Barisan Nasional Government.

On the cancelling of the contract, Lim clarified that it was meant for ministerial communications and not a “personal promotion platform”.

“The articles were actually suggested to appear fortnightly, detailing on the ministry’s latest progress and future development plans.

“This was, in fact, one of the initiatives under Pemandu’s public interaction programme.

“It was not the only initiative and certainly, not meant to promote Liow personally,” he pointed out.

Lim said the plan to conduct the public interaction programme took some time and was only approved in January this year.

“However, it was unable to be implemented due to time constraints, not that Pemandu failed to deliver.

“Loke has also confirmed that Pemandu did not charge the Government,” he said, urging Loke to focus on his ministerial duties.

Lim also said Loke should not attack Liow deliberately.

“Malaysia’s public transport development is crucial for it to achieve the status of a developed nation. He should focus on his work,” he said.