Loke challenges PM to declassify cabinet memorandum on KVDT2
Former transport minister Anthony Loke has challenged Bersatu Youth to get the Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to declassify a cabinet memorandum on the Klang Valley Double Tracking (Phase 2) (KVDT 2) project.
This came after the party youth wing's information chief Mohd Ashraf Mustaqim Badrul Munir questioned the former Pakatan Harapan government's decision to award the project through direct negotiation to Dhaya Maju Infrastructure (Asia) Sdn Bhd (DMIA) at the cost of RM4.475 billion.
Ashraf claimed that Loke had announced to the cabinet on Sept 19, 2018, that the government would be able to reduce the cost of the project from RM5.265 billion to somewhere between RM3 billion and RM3.5 billion if it's retendered, before eventually opting for direct negotiation.
Ashraf, in a media conference yesterday, also questioned the alleged disappearance of RM1 billion concerning the project.
"I challenge Bersatu Youth to push the prime minister, who is also Bersatu president, Muhyiddin to declassify the cabinet memorandum regarding the KVDT 2 project so that the public can view all facts and background of the project, as well as comments from the Finance and Economic Affairs Ministry and Attorney-General's Chambers," Loke said in a statement today.
On the matter of direct negotiation, he explained that the Transport and Finance Ministries at that time had suggested for the project to be retendered.
"However, the majority of cabinet ministers viewed that the project should be given back to DMIA-LTAT joint venture (JV) due to several factors such as the agreed 15 percent cost reduction, the risk of legal action against the government for cancelling the contract signed by the previous government, LTAT's interest in the project, and so that the project could be delivered on time.
"One of the ministers who was vocal about giving back the project to DMIA-LTAT JV was a Bersatu minister who's still in the cabinet today," he added.
Loke said that the Finance Ministry under the leadership of Lim Guan Eng had consistently suggested for the project to be retendered in all of its comments to the cabinet.
