We can do without the surat sokongan problem (updated)

UPDATED at 14:38, Dec 8 2020 

Annuar admits endorsing Umno-linked firm for road project

excerpts;

“Thankfully, the PM (Muhyiddin) did not consider it (the letter of support). If not, who knows what other slander(ous comments) might surface.

“A letter of support is neither a verdict nor an order. It may not necessarily be accepted.

“When the people ask for support and there is merit to it, then it is the job of the elected representative to support their requests. Whether it is accepted or not is a different matter,” said Annuar, who is also Ketereh MP.

Honestly, I do wonder what is the merit of a request to put the job on direct negotiation instead of open tender.

Is it the job of a waikil rakyat to support such requests from contractors?

Anyway, I wonder whether the contractor endorsed by the minister finally get the job anyway after it was put on open tender.  

ORIGINAL POST

Someone forwarded this to me just now,

Well, same old, same old.

This is the sort of surat sokongan nonsense they came out with to get "their people" the government contracts which was supposed to be given in an open tender.

That's one of the main reasons why many aspiring businessman entered politics back then, in particular by joining Umno.

It's for them to get these surat sokongan.

The likelihood of getting a government contract is almost certain if you have such a recommendation letter from a powerful politician in the ruling party.

That's when you got all kind of shit happening.

In many cases, the right people for the job are not getting the contract because the wrong people have a surat sokongan.

In this particular case, I don't know whether the contractor involved is good or not, but he surely have a significant advantage with that surat sokongan from an "influential" minister.

Furthermore, the letter clearly stated that it's a request for the Prime Minister to award the contract to that particular contractor by way of rundingan terus (direct negotiation) instead of it being offered in an open tender.

I think that's a little bit too much.

I don't know whether PM Muhyiddin is going to really entertain the request but, since the surat sokongan comes from Annuar Musa, he must have at least pause for a while to consider it.

After all, Annuar Musa, who is the BN secretary-general has became the most vocal supporter of his Pribumi Bersatu party.

Some even see him as a spokesperson of Pribumi Bersatu,when he enthusiastically urged his own party Umno to continue to support the current government.

That despite all the bad deals Umno has been getting from Pribumi Bersatu of late.

Muhyiddin may probably think that if the direct negotiation request for the contract is not entertained, then Annuar may not be so enthusiastic with his support anymore.

Well, at least that's how I would think if I'm in Muhyiddin's position.

That's tough for the PM, okay.

It's tough to do the right thing.

Anyway, let's hope Muhyiddin will stand firm and let the contract be offered in an open tender so that the best contractor get the job done.

We don't want the highway to be built starts to crack up and such within just a few months after its completion, don't we?