When I was in the government service, any purchase above a certain amount (RM50,000 I think) have to undergo an open tender process.

However I soon discovered that really big purchases (a few millions and above) can be made on a direct negotiations basis, with approval from the treasury.

The whole idea of an open tender is to get the best price for the product or services required. Therefore it is illogical for it to be waived on the really big purchases.

Recently there was an article on Singapore's selection process for their next fighter plane. There is great interest overseas, even though the purchase amount is small, because of Singapore's open and impartial selection process. Therefore the winner is assured of increased prestige in the market. What this implies is that other countries in this region are not impartial.