Past scandals like 1MDB and the Jana Wibawa programme show the need for a government procurement law to be enacted, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said transparency and responsibility in managing the government’s finances were no longer a choice but a necessity.
He described the proposed Government Procurement Bill 2025 as a brave move towards ensuring good governance, Sinar Harian reported.
“From the Maminco scandal in the 1980s to the major losses from the forex scandal, 1MDB, the littoral combat ship (LCS) project, and Jana Wibawa … all these are proof that transparency and responsibility are no longer an option but a demand that we must fulfil.
“We must ensure no repeat of such financial scandals in the future,” he said when tabling the bill in the Dewan Rakyat today.
The Maminco-Makuwasa scandal reportedly saw RM1.6 billion in estimated losses, while the Bank Negara Malaysia forex scandal in the early 1990s saw Malaysia losing about RM32 billion of its reserves.
The 1MDB scandal has so far seen former prime minister Najib Razak jailed 12 years and fined RM210 million, which has since been reduced to six years’ imprisonment and a RM50 million fine by the Federal Territories Pardons Board.
The Jana Wibawa scandal has led to the prosecution of former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
