By Yow Hong Chieh
August 02, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 2 — The Malay Contractors Association of Malaysia’s (PKMM) Penang branch has defended the state’s open tender system as fair and warned Penang MCA to stop politicising contracts awarded to Bumiputeras there.
Acting Penang PKMM chief Datuk Izham Merican today condemned what he said was Penang MCA’s “ignorance” for failing to understand that open tenders allowed the state government to select the best and most competitively priced contractors, regardless of race.
“By only questioning contracts awarded to Malays, is MCA being racist towards the abilities of Malay contractors whom they regard as less competent than other contractors?” Izham said in a statement today.
“The Penang Malay Contractors Association of Malaysia strongly rejects MCA’s racist sentiment which insults Malay contractors … MCA should remember that there are good and not-so-good groups in all races, including the Chinese.”
He pointed out that non-Bumiputeras were not sidelined even when contracts were given to Bumiputera companies as many suppliers and construction workers were non-Bumiputeras.
“Therefore, for every project offered by the (state) government to Bumiputera contractors in its own way also provides opportunities for other races,” he said.
Izham also heaped praise on Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for his professionalism and willingness to help Penangites of all races, including Umno-dominated PKMM, despite criticism from “those who do not understand the state government’s policies”.
He added that the federal government should give greater assistance to contractors, many of whom were facing closure as the construction industry no longer provided as many opportunities for work as before.
In the past two weeks, Penang MCA has repeatedly accused the DAP-led state government of being anti-Chinese for awarding only two contracts in the past three years to Chinese contractors.
In its latest salvo today, the state MCA said the Penang government’s decision to award only 0.2 per cent of the 968 projects tendered since the opposition party took power in 2008 suggested that Lim thought the Chinese community “incompetent”.
Before this latest attack, the Penang administration under Lim has regularly been accused by Umno, MCA’s senior partner in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) pact, of being racist for allegedly discriminating against the Malay community.
#1 by Godfather on Wednesday, 3 August 2011 - 9:22 am
My advice to LGE is to ignore the rants of MCA. Just do what is right, and the people will support you irrespective of race or religion. People defending you, like the article above, is much much more effective that you trying to defend yourself.
Equally obvious is that the comments of the Penang PKMM will not appear on the pages of the STAR.
#2 by waterfrontcoolie on Wednesday, 3 August 2011 - 10:17 am
We must be wondering as to why we need to pay the Government Valuation Department when their recommendations are not worth the paper they are written on as explained by the former Head of that department! It certainly looks like another waste of time and resources over the PKFZ affairs! Or is this just for the forthcoming GE? Anyway, the majority of thinking Malaysians have decided so. Now you also have CSL being so interested in the foreign workers registration. Why? Fearing that your cronies who were given the permites to recruit them would no longer make some easy cash? we keep going in a circle on what we had done wrong and hoped that another spin will change it into more acceptable story. I believe, this will be out last chance to see the repeats of all this shit! by a group of bankrupt politicians!!
#3 by country for malaysian on Wednesday, 3 August 2011 - 10:26 am
We are all Malaysians.
LGE & PR did the right thing.
Transparent award to the best Malaysian.
Nothing more nothing less.
#4 by trublumsian on Wednesday, 3 August 2011 - 10:43 am
good to hear there remains level headed folks in umno. give credit where credit is due. LGE way to go! keep it up.
if utusan is the crap that stinks up the social landscape the star is fast becoming the paper that wipes utusan er i mean crap off axxes.
#5 by monsterball on Wednesday, 3 August 2011 - 11:34 am
This should shame Najib’s government and MCA in particular.
They must be thick skins and try other methods to win votes.
They can never can understand…when you have a clean…fair and just government treating all equals and all as Malaysians….it is like the Rock Of Gibraltor…unshakeable….and DAP will govern Penang as long as the want.
#6 by artemisios on Wednesday, 3 August 2011 - 12:59 pm
MCA used The Star to accuse DAP as anti-Chinese
at the same time UMNO used Utusan to accuse DAP as anti-Malay.
Killing 2 birds with 1 stone?
Does the BN govt think Malaysians are THAT stupid???????
#7 by negarawan on Wednesday, 3 August 2011 - 7:26 pm
Good thing I have stopped my subscription the The Star, which is the English version of Utusan Malaysia. Don’t waste your money on The Star. It’s another gutter journalism
#8 by Bunch of Suckers on Wednesday, 3 August 2011 - 7:57 pm
Mama “Kock” Anchorage! Stop your grievances! You’re no longer representing Chinese community! In fact, you’re representing yourself & UMNO!