RECOMMENDATION LETTERS SHOULD NOT PUT UNDUE PRESSURE, M'SIAN MINISTER

KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 (Bernama) -- Recommendation letters from well-known figures, such as ministers and members of parliament should not put undue pressure on government officials in executing their duty in government procurement.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Idris Jala said that if the
letter says "please consider," then, it should be taken as "please consider" and
not as a must.

"The recommendation letters should not put undue pressure to bypass the
policy of procurement," he said at the Second Annual Corporate Governance Summit
2010, here, Tuesday.

He said these were among the areas being worked on in the government
transformation plan.

The government has put in various measures to reduce fraud and corruption
including the adoption of an open tender system to ensure transparency in
government contracts, public accessibility to information on government tenders
via its portal, My Procurement, and the passing of the Whistleblower Protection
Act 2010.

He said the My Procurement portal has seen improvements after some teething
problems.

The Whistleblower Protection Act is to protect those who disclose
information on wrongdoings and whose assistance is required for investigations.

Idris also said the government has not given up investigation of the Port
Klang Free Zone scandal and that it will strive to reach to the bottom of
it.
-- BERNAMA