KUALA LUMPUR: A Perikatan Nasional MP questioned why other subsidiaries of YTL Corp have been awarded government-linked projects even after the 1BestariNet project issue came to light.
“I am disappointed that there is no punishment for such companies,” Datuk Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah (PN-Langkawi) said during his supplementary question on the 1BestariNet project.
He said other projects worth billions were awarded to other subsidiaries of the conglomerate after the 1BestariNet project ran into troubles.
Among them are the RM4.5bil waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in Rawang, Selangor, which YTL Power International Bhd is working with KDEB Waste Management Sdn Bhd; the digital banking license for the consortium of Sea Ltd and YTL Digital Capital Sdn Bhd; and the 30-year extension of the Express Rail Link (ERL) Sdn Bhd’s concession. YTL Corp holds a 45% stake in ERL, making it a majority owner.
The 1BestariNet project was launched by the government in 2011 with YTL Power International Bhd’s subsidiary YTL Communications Sdn Bhd engaged to provide high-speed Internet access to schools involving a virtual learning system for students.
The project included implementing the Frog Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), a cloud-based learning platform.
In 2019, the Education Ministry announced that the contract with 1BestariNet to provide Internet access to schools nationwide would end.
Responding to Suhaimi, Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said the ministry would leave it to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to continue its investigations into the 1BestariNet project.
“The contract that the then government had entered into between 2011 and 2019 showed a lot of problems including the rental rate for the (telecommunication pole) sites were not finalised,” he said.
“Even after the contract ended in 2019, the towers are still functioning for commercial purposes.”
“This is a legacy issue that the current government has to resolve,” he added.
Wong said a Cabinet paper on the issue of rental sites and electricity charges would be tabled.
“On the other projects awarded that Langkawi had raised, I suggest that you refer to the other ministries involved including the Finance Ministry on why these projects were awarded,” he said.
On Oct 31, MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the agency was conducting a thorough probe of the awarding of the RM4bil service tender to YTL Communications to ensure fairness to all those involved.
He stressed that the MACC will adhere to due process to carry out the investigation transparently and urged everyone to avoid speculation.
"We will also consider the defence presented by YTL,” he said in a statement on Thursday (Oct 31).
Azam added that it is still too early for the graft buster to draw any conclusions about the case, which involves a technical dispute related to project delivery between the ministry and YTL.
However, he gave his assurance that the MACC would do its best to expedite the probe.
