PAC urges stricter procurement safeguards at MAHB in early review of privatisation

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 — Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today told Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) to tighten its procurement process, warning against potential cartel practices following the airport operator’s privatisation.

The bipartisan panel issued the caution as it tabled its report on the early assessment of the privatisation exercise in the Dewan Rakyat this morning.

The committee made eight recommendations, including that Malaysia’s airports remain under government control through majority ownership by state investment corporations, and that periodic audit reports be tabled to the Cabinet.

“MAHB must tighten its procurement and contractor vetting system with the cooperation of the MACC, CAAM and the MyCC to eradicate cartel practices by contractors that are incompetent,” PAC chairman Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said at a press conference in Parliament here.

“This will ensure the failure of facilities and services (roof leakages, broken toilets, passenger loading bridges) do not happen again.”

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