KUALA LUMPUR: The newly tabled Government Procurement Bill 2025 will mark a shift towards curbing corruption, cartels and abuse of power in government tenders, says a government backbencher.
Sim Tze Tzin (PH-Bayan Baru), who sits on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), said past scandals, such as 1MDB and JanaWibawa, were prime evidence of the systemic rot that was entrenched in the procurement process at all levels of government.
“In the good old days, if you tendered for a government project, your company might put up the best price, but the contract went to another company with a strong ‘cable’.
“But with this Bill, there could now be an avenue to complain, and it will be heard in an open tribunal. You will get your justice,” Sim said in a post on X on Thursday (Aug 28).
He added that the Bill’s new mechanism would “send shivers down the spine” of corrupt politicians and officials, as hearings would be conducted openly before the public and media, adding that there would be no way to hide anymore.
This comes after Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying tabled the Government Procurement Bill 2025 for its first reading on Monday (Aug 25), to enhance accountability and transparency in public procurement.
