Tajuddin Rahman Replied

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Early yesterday, Malaysiakini here reported MACC raiding on Prasarana office. Contrary to many suggestions to Chairman Dato Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, he went through with the press conference late afternoon yesterday. Video of the full PC above. 
Before the press conference, Tajuddin responded privately through a friend on the status of his daughter's company contract with Prasarana as raised yesterday. The contract was awarded before he became Chairman.  
Tajuddin responded to accusation with regard the status of Prasarana Group CEO and payment to MRCB-GK. He confirmed Muhammad Nizam Alias is undergoing suspension for insubordination. Nizam has replied to the enquiry and due process is being carried out. 

However, Tajuddin suspected he had used media to attack him. It first appeared on The Vibes dated December 8th. And, it may have come in the form of a comment received in the previous post as below:
Prasarana Malaysia Bhd has been subject of bad press since Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Rahman took over the helm as chairman on May 11 last year, especially over claims that the Umno warlord has been overstepping his boundaries by getting involved in executive decisions.
This is no mere storm in the teacup as the latest flashpoints call to question the political interference in the national transport operator, which in turn casts doubt over its fiduciary duty to the Malaysian public.
Just last week seventeen contractors appointed to complete the Light Rail Transit 3 (LRT) sent appeal letters to Putrajaya’s highest officials, urging them to step in and release more than RM700 million owed for works done on the project.
The three letters dated December 30 and signed by the companies’ chiefs were addressed to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Aziz and Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong, titled “Constructions and Completion of Guideway, Stations, Park and Ride, Ancillary Buildings an Other Associated Works for Light Rail Transit Line 3 from Bandar Utama to Johan Setia: A Plea for the Release of Payment for Work Done.”
The signees are:

Minconsult Sdn Bhd chief executive Datuk Dennis GanendraMMSB Consult Sdn Bhd Datuk Ashok Kumar SharmaMRCB George Kent Sdn Bhd project director Hwang Chee LeongReaplite Industries Sdn Bhd executive director Sebastian ThenMudajaya Corporation Bhd operations director Anthony TeohWCT Bhd executive director Liang Kai ChongGabungan Strategik Sdn Bhd operations director Bakri IshakApex Communications Sdn Bhd executive director Datuk Ahmad Amer AwangRahimkon Sdn Bhd operations director Mohd Khalil DanSunway Construction Sdn Bhd operations director Liew Kok WingPembinaan Jaya Zira Sdn Bhd operations director Datuk Adi Munawar Md DinSN Akmida Holdings Sdn Bhd operations chief Datuk Shukry Md SaadTrans Resources Corporation Sdn Bhd executive director Datuk Abdul Aziz MohamadEmrail Sdn Bhd chief executive Amrish Hari NarayananHisniaga Sdn Bhd operations director Datuk Habib IsmailPrimercon UTEC Consortium director Chan Wai MengBlueprint Projects Sdn Bhd director Datuk Mohamad Ariff Abdullah
The contractors claimed that Prasarana had not paid them since July and the accrued amount Prasarana confirmed but still withheld up to October was more than RM700 million. This amount is expected to balloon to RM1 billion as of December 31 last year, taking into account work done up to that point.
The livelihood of 10,000 workers as well as financial commitments to subcontractors, suppliers and stakeholders as well as banks are at risk, said the companies, adding that they had to rely on internally generated funds to ensure targets set by Prasarana are met.
Coupled with the Covid-19 crisis, the contractors, including their Bumiputera peers, said they were facing tight cash flow and might not be able to complete the project on time. LRT 3 is 43.24% done and is expected to be completed in 2024.
Tajuddin has also been accused of involving himself in two major decisions: the suspension of its president and the possible termination of a development project.
The suspension of Prasarana president and group chief executive Muhammad Nizam Alias is believed to be because he showed signs of insubordination when the board and Tajuddin instructed him to investigate MRCB George Kent over LRT 3. Nizam is also said to have a tense relationship with Tajudin especially over the awarding of contracts.
Further, Tajuddin has sought to terminate the contractors involved in transport-oriented development Latitud8, situated on the site of the Dang Wangi LRT station, and is pushing for Prasarana to play a more prominent role in the project and eventually move its headquarters there.
The public transport operator is expected to pay as much as RM80 million in compensation to terminate the joint land development agreement. According to business publication The Edge, citing documents, Prasarana’s owner, the Finance Ministry, had given tacit approval for the company to move there.
The joint venture developing Latitud8 is Intan Sekitar Sdn Bhd, owned by Crest Builder International Holdings Bhd’s unit Crest Builder International Sdn Bhd (51%) and privately held Detik Utuh Sdn Bhd (49%).
Detik Utuh is a Tajuddin family company. Tajuddin himself was a director until October 2013 while his daughter, Sri Rahayu Tajuddin, remains a board member.
The company’s shareholders are Tindakan Juara Sdn Bhd (40%), Obata-Ambak Holdings Sdn Bhd (35%) and Vignesh Naidu Kuppusamy Naidu (25%).
Tindakan Juara is another Tajuddin family company that counts Sri Rahayu, Tajuddin’s wife Rohkiah Abd Samat and Firdaus Tajuddin as shareholders.
Intan Sekitar won the bid to develop Latitud8 at end-March 2012. Prasarana, the owner of the land, was expected to receive RM46.64 million or 21.2% of the project’s estimated RM220 million gross development value.
Since Tajudin was only appointed Prasarana chairman in May this year, he and his family were involved in the project even before holding the position.
According Crest Builder’s listed parent company, in its 2019 annual report, main building works at Latitud 8 had commenced.
But various media reports show that the project’s deadlines had been consistently shifting. The development was set for launch by end-2016. That never happened, instead construction was brought to a halt with the relaunch date some time last year. Now it’s set to take place in two years’ time with the delay being attributed to tough market conditions.
At the time of writing, it is not known whether Crest Builder and Detik Utuh have been informed of the possible termination of Latitud 8.
Prasarana currently maintains and operates Malaysia’s two LRT networks, namely the Kelana Jaya line and Ampang-Sri Petaling line, as well as the KL Monorail, bus rapid transit Sunway line, and bus services in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kuantan and Kamunting. It is also the operator of the mass rapid transit service in the Klang Valley.
But, the group has been bleeding red since 2014. According to its latest financial results ended December 31, 2019, Prasarana registered a loss of RM3.61 billion on the back of RM842.09 million in revenue. Its total liabilities for the year stood at RM35 billion compared to total assets of RM1.29 billion.
External auditor Ernst & Young PLT, in Prasarana’s 2019 annual report, said as liabilities exceeded assets, “these conditions indicate the existence of material uncertainties that may cast significant doubt on the group’s and the company’s ability to continue as a going concern and, therefore, the group and the company may be unable to realise their assets and discharge their liabilities in the normal course of business”.
Prasarana did not expand on their reply as it is an internal matter and to allow for due process to take place without being prejudicial to affected parties. 
Apparently, source claimed Nizam refused the Chairman and Board of Directors request to review the contracts given out by main contractor, MRCB-George Kent. Tajuddin claimed he expressed concern MRCB-GK has not complied with government policies and suspected of making excessive profits by squeezing on sub-contractors.
Tajuddin reply on non-payment to sub-contractors was to remind that complaining contractors are hired by main contractor MRCB-GK. He explained Prasarana have paid MRCB-GK up to October 2020 as compared to one year delay by PH government.  
As main contractor, Tajuddin expect main contractor should be financially capable to fulfill their obligation. MRCB-GK has only a paid-up capital of RM10 million. He said Prasarana is reliance on government and depended on their equity injection.       
MRCB-GK replied to Tajuddin to claim they have complied to the Bumiputera requirement. Sure... contractors always comply on paper, but not in praactise. Many loopholes as alomost all Chinese owned contractors owned company with Bumiputera status with their drivers as "Bumiputera shareholder".   
Its not the most articulate of answer, but Tajuddin replied. 

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