Nurul Izzah wants speed camera contract reviewed

By Teoh El Sen - Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar today urged the Transport Ministry to review an "unfair" decision it made to award two companies a multi-million-ringgit contract for a nationwide implementation of a speed camera system to catch traffic offenders.

FMT yesterday reported that local company Tess Capital Sdn Bhd claimed that it has been sidelined in the award of the RM700 million contract for the Automated Enforcement System (AES). The deal went to the two companies whose AES is based on foreign technology.

The AES is made up of cameras installed at accident-prone areas and traffic light junctions. The devices can detect speeding vehicles and those who beat the red light.

Tess Capital claimed that its AES, the product of its homegrown technology, is equal, if not better, than its competitors.

Its executive director Soh Joon Hang said he has lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate what he claimed was the abuse of power and "manipulation" by Road Transport Department over the tender process in 2007.

Tess Capital was established in 2004 and later given an MSC (Multimedia Super Corridor) status a year later. Soh said his company was officially recognised as AES supplier by the New South Wales government after it had passed a stringent 18-month trial in 2008.

'Make dealings transparent'

Said Nurul Izzah: "I think Transport Minister Kong Cho Ha should seriously address this issue (awarding the contract) and find out how this could have taken place. This is wrong.”

She added that Tess Capital deserved to know why it was not chosen or least be treated fairly.

"It is hard enough to research and develop something locally with your own funds. If your own government doesn't support your initiative, it will eventually discourage other local companies

from developing their own technology," she said.

Nurul Izzah said it is widely known that the Transport Ministry has "always given priority” to certain companies, and urged for transparency in its dealings.

"One of the points in the 10th Malaysia Plan was to support innovation to spur economic growth. In the last stimulus package, the government allocated RM10 billion for the Working Capital Guarantee Scheme and invariably the funds will be given to government-tendered projects -- meaning crony companies. But only RM150 million was set aside for the creation of innovative high-tech companies. Why?"

"If we are really supporting innovation, the ones in need of backing are companies like Tess Capital. I am glad that Tess Capital is brave enough to lodge a report with the MACC,” she said.

“But now we must ensure that the MACC will investigate this matter properly. Is the tender process in accordance with international standards?"

Nurul Izzah also questioned whether the ministry had taken into account Tess Capital's MSC status.

"What's the use of awarding that status if it doesn't help our local companies win a tender? The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry has complained that many companies have not survived long; is this because of our government's attitude?"

Nurul Izzah said the Tess Capital case was only the tip of the iceberg, adding that the same problem also plagues all small and medium enterprises in the country.

"It (awarding contracts) is really skewed towards those 'special' companies,” she said.