‘No tolerance for those trying to outwit PJ tender process’

THERE will be zero tolerance for applicants trying to rig Petaling Jaya City Council’s (MBPJ) tender application process.

Petaling Jaya mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon said it was widely known that companies choosing to reject a tender awarded by the local council would be blacklisted for two years.

They are also blacklisted by the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB).

Despite this, interested parties awarded projects by MBPJ’s tender board have rejected the offers.

“There was a recent case involving five companies bidding for an MBPJ development project,” said Mohamad Zahri.

“The budget for the project was estimated at RM2mil.

“The tender board offered the project to company A that met the budget and criteria,” he said.

“However, company A rejected the offer. Then the project was offered to company B and it too rejected the offer.

“During the period, companies C and D withdrew their interest as well.

“MBPJ was left with company E which had put in a budget higher than we could afford.”

At the March full board meeting yesterday, Mohamad Zahri suggested calling for fresh tender applications for the project.

“The city council’s time and resources cannot be wasted by sitting through tender meetings, only to have them (awarded projects) rejected,” he said.

Councillor Terence Tan said all directors of the companies involved should also be blacklisted, while Councillor Billy Wong recommended that consultants representing the companies be blacklisted too.

Mohamad Zahri said that ideally, the tender process should start at least six months before the end of the previous contract.

On another matter, the mayor managed to increase the registration for Central Database Hub (Padu) from 180 Desa Mentari low-cost flats residents to 516 in a day.

He said local councils had a role to play in meeting objectives set out by the Federal Government.

“Those from lower income groups might not be able to understand how to fill up the online form, so MBPJ should lend a hand.

“I was aware of the low numbers at B40 areas, so MBPJ helped push for registration by setting up counters,” said Mohamad Zahri.

“As more Desa Mentari residents came to register, we opened up more counters.”

From 10, he said MBPJ eventually had 25 counters.

“Booths were even set up under trees to maximise the registration process,” he said.

He urged Petaling Jaya residents to register for Padu as the government had incentives for different groups of people, especially those from the B40.