Pm Told Off Aide Over Support Letter But Who Was It

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Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim yesterday told Parliament that he had reprimanded one of his political secretaries for writing support letters to six contractors in a hospital project last year.
However, Anwar, in response to Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari, did not specify which of his three political secretaries he had told off.
While searching for the answer to this question, Malaysiakini sighted an alleged letter signed by one of the political secretaries which is now circulating on social media.
Malaysiakini is withholding the aide’s name pending comment.
The letter, dated May 6, 2024, was addressed to an aide to Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad and asked to consider six contractors for pre-approval in the Muar hospital project.
The letter first leaked on social media last year and was later confirmed as true by Dzulkefly in Parliament.
Health Minister Dzulkefly AhmadDuring a special chambers session on July 9 last year, the health minister, however, stressed that the letter did not mention any order or approval for the six companies to be appointed for the project, and was just for consideration.
“This showed that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) did not interfere in the procurement of Health Ministry projects and other ministries,” Dzulkefly had said.
He added that because the request was for the construction of new hospitals, the Health Ministry neither considered nor approved the application by the contractors mentioned in the political secretary’s letter.
Six contractors, only two qualified
The issue resurfaced yesterday, when Fadhli cited the letter while questioning Anwar’s commitment to fighting graft.
Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari“Why is it that when your own political secretary issued a letter of support for a hospital project in 2024 - listing contractors for the Health Ministry - six contractors were named by your political secretary, but only two were actually qualified?
“The others had no CIDB records, were subjected to disciplinary action, and yet the public sees no action taken by you,” he said.
In response, Anwar admitted that a political secretary had indeed sent the letter.
“He did it, and I have already given a stern reprimand because our rules do not allow it.
“If there is a letter from me, at most it should say, ‘Please review.’
“That’s the standard wherever I go. In Sabah, there were dozens of letters - some involving contracts - where we would say ‘please review.’ But you cannot issue a letter of support,” said Anwar during Minister Question Time.
“On that, I agree with the YB,” the prime minister added. - Mkini

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