Nafas Scandal Lessons In The Intricacies Of Governing

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Minister of Agriculture, Dato Salahuddin Ayub and indirectly, the Prime Minister are being accused by MCA President and opposition MP for Air Hitam, Dato Wee Ka Siong in Parliament for giving out contract directly to NAFAS worth RM1.4 billon.

Apparently, it is done through a "jalan belakang" (back channel) upon consultation with the Prime Minister after NAFAS lost out in an open tender.

Opposition demanded an answer from the MInister by 4:00 PM but it was not forthcoming.

The video of the Parliamentary session below:


Political appointment

Since the Minister is from AMANAH, Wee raised the presence of AMANAH politicians on the Board of Director.

Pakatan Harapan promised no more political appointments, but it is as rampant or common as during the Barisan Nasional administration.


Though there were attempt by pro-PH FBer claiming other members of the Board are aligned to BN, such excuse is lame. The Minister and Chairman cum Management calls the shot.

Inconsistent

Wee raised the bigger question of weather there were elements of croynism. A report have been lodged with MACC.

In June 2018, it was the Minister that suspended NAFAS operations. Last year also, the Ministry approved ending BERNAS monopoly as the single and main supply and importer of rice on the basis of opening up for competition and efficiency.

So it is inconsistent for AMANAH politicians to use the open tender and encouraging competition as an excuse for a case but resort to backdoor channel to win tender at their convenience.

There were critics leveled at Wee from the reply by NAFAS Chairman Dato Pharolrazi Mohd Zawawi, who claimed it was necessary to meet the dividend due for its 900,000 members.

Open tender

Wee was criticised for carrying a Chinese economic dominance agenda to monopolise the tender outcome for Chinese businessmen. The Chinese economic rhetoric tend to promote for open market, willingness for competition and laisse fairre economy.

However, it is heard Tony Pua is manipulating tender process to get the best deal but not the best price to reduce government cost.

One supply tender was heard to have undergone three bidding process without a decision made. It was meant to get to know the fair price level for a friendly Chinese to submit a direct nego proposal with a PFI term together with bag promised to be delivered before the letter of award.

Nego after open tender

The critic towards Wee is still an incomplete story. Why was did the KSU to opened the fertilizer supply for padi planting to open tender since it is known that NAFAS has a socio-economic role to supplement farmers income?

The KSU should have known that since 1986, there is a program for NAFAS to supply fertiler for direct nego. The factory was built on the instruction of PM4.

When the KSU open tender first before doing a direct nego, those involved in the tender wuld naturally be unhappy. However, without the tender awarded, NAFAS, its factory in Gurun, and nearby Petronas factory closed. Thousands of workers, especially Malays will lose their job.

Practically 96% of revenue came from the fertiler supply. That is return for more than 900,000 farmers. .

Governing ain't easy, babe


During campaigning, it is easy to make promise, criticise and do expose.

In reality, it is not so simple. More so, to meet the expectation of good governance, transparency and accountability in the pursuit to take care of the people

It is a good reminder to Salahuddin Ayub and his fellow AMANAH politicians that governing is not easy. Governing is prioritising and delicate balancing of conflicting interests.

So as government, they should stop shooting their mouth with cliche, rhetorics and endless polemics. The opposition understand well the intricacies of governing but the government side have yet to understand it.

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