Retract claim or face suit, businessman told
Susan LoonePublished: Jan 24, 2011 3:25 PM | Updated: Jan 24, 2011 3:29 PM
The Penang Welfare and Sports Council for Government Staff (or Maksak by its Malay acronym) has threatened to sue a businessman who has alleged bias in the awarding of a tender to operate a canteen at Komtar.
Zainal Abidin Mydin has 24 hours to apologise for deeming the Penang Welfare and Sports Council for Government Staff ‘biased’ in awarding a canteen tender.
The Penang Welfare and Sports Council for Government Staff (or Maksak by its Malay acronym) has threatened to sue a businessman who has alleged bias in the awarding of a tender to operate a canteen at Komtar.
Zainal Abidin Mydin (left), 45, has 24 hours to retract his statement and issue a public apology, failing which Maksak will initiate legal action against him and report him to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
Maksak honorary secretary Hakmal Effendi Ishak said Zainal Abidin’s accusation was made to “tarnish the image” of the council which manages the canteen on Level 6.
“We find his action in invading government premises and issuing a press release to be very disturbing. This caused difficulties for the officer in charge of conducting the tender process,” said Hakmal Effendi.
“As a representative of Kafeteria Fartini (which Zainal Abidin claims to represent) who participated in the process, he should not try to influence the (Tender) Board to award the tender to him.”
He said Zainal Abidin did not show proof of authority in representing Kafeteria Fartini and was “arrogant” in dealing with an officer last Friday.
As he is not the authorised representative of Kafeteria Fartini, the company will be disqualified by the (Tender) Board, noted Hakmal Effendi.
Explaining the messy situation observed in the canteen, he said the former contractor was in the process of vacating the premises, including dismantling the equipment and removing appliances.
Application rejected
Zainal Abidin reported the matter to the Penang branch of the MACC on Jan 19, saying he is raising the issue because he does not want to see favouritism and corruption in the state government.
He claimed to have learnt that the former operator, who had run the canteen for 10 years, had boasted of having “bought the officers upstairs”.
Zainal Abidin had applied for the tender but this was rejected as his quotation of RM3,000 was lower than the RM3,500 set by the Tender Board.
The canteen is owned by the Penang State Secretary Office. In 2006, it was handed over to Maksak to manage, which then offered it to businessman Abdul Hamid Abdul Aziz.
The offer was extended from Dec 31, 2009, on a mutually-agreed increase in monthly rental from RM1,000 in 2009 to RM2,000 last year.
Zainal Abidin Mydin (left), 45, has 24 hours to retract his statement and issue a public apology, failing which Maksak will initiate legal action against him and report him to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).Maksak honorary secretary Hakmal Effendi Ishak said Zainal Abidin’s accusation was made to “tarnish the image” of the council which manages the canteen on Level 6.
“We find his action in invading government premises and issuing a press release to be very disturbing. This caused difficulties for the officer in charge of conducting the tender process,” said Hakmal Effendi.
“As a representative of Kafeteria Fartini (which Zainal Abidin claims to represent) who participated in the process, he should not try to influence the (Tender) Board to award the tender to him.”
He said Zainal Abidin did not show proof of authority in representing Kafeteria Fartini and was “arrogant” in dealing with an officer last Friday.
As he is not the authorised representative of Kafeteria Fartini, the company will be disqualified by the (Tender) Board, noted Hakmal Effendi.
Explaining the messy situation observed in the canteen, he said the former contractor was in the process of vacating the premises, including dismantling the equipment and removing appliances.
Application rejected
Zainal Abidin reported the matter to the Penang branch of the MACC on Jan 19, saying he is raising the issue because he does not want to see favouritism and corruption in the state government.
He claimed to have learnt that the former operator, who had run the canteen for 10 years, had boasted of having “bought the officers upstairs”.
Zainal Abidin had applied for the tender but this was rejected as his quotation of RM3,000 was lower than the RM3,500 set by the Tender Board.
The canteen is owned by the Penang State Secretary Office. In 2006, it was handed over to Maksak to manage, which then offered it to businessman Abdul Hamid Abdul Aziz.
The offer was extended from Dec 31, 2009, on a mutually-agreed increase in monthly rental from RM1,000 in 2009 to RM2,000 last year.
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