LETTER OF SUPPORT - not a NEW issue, then it was Deputy Prime Minister Wan Azizah's political secretary - now, it is the PM Anwar's political secretary
A rights group has urged Putrajaya to ban support letters by ministers or their aides after the political secretary to the deputy prime minister came under fire after he was reported to have issued such a document. “This is an abuse of governmental power, pure and simple....Latheefa also urged Wan Azizah to explain if she was aware that her political secretary was issuing support letters, and whether she was aware of this specific letter and had authorised the issuance of such letters....In June, the government decided that ministers and deputy ministers were not allowed to issue letters of support for any tenders or proposals involving the government. FMT, 9/12/2018
PM Anwar Ibrahim again MOST DISAPPOINTING - HE SHOULD BE STRONG and CRIMINALIZED such actions of seeking/issuing Letters of Support to influence who gets government contracts/projects .... not try to justify crimes again by pointing that others also did such wrongs before...
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called the opposition "hypocrites" for being vocal over alleged letters of support that his aides sent out for companies seeking government projects....Two of Anwar's political aides have recently been implicated in allegations of penning support letters for companies, which have since gone viral...."They should be reprimanded, but does this warrant a firing? Because the letter stated 'sila pertimbangkan' (please consider), not proposing for approval," he said.
The issue this time "Letters of Support' or 'Support Letters' - for companies/entities seeking government or government-linked projects.... WILL IT HAVE AN EFFECT on the decision as to who gets a project? YES, it would..
When it a SUPPORT LETTER from the Prime Minister, or indirectly the Political Secretary of the Prime Minister 'supporting' a company in their quest to secure a government project, will it affect the 'decision makers' deciding on who should get a project - now, these maybe public Officers, Ministers(who are Ministers only because the PM chose them) -- YES, it would.
The letters of support need not be an explicit ORDER or a DIRECTION - it may just be a letter asking that the company be considered...but the recipient can 'understand'...it as 'this is the WILL/WISH of the PM or the ruling parties' ONLY solution, in my opinion, is to ABOLISH THE PRACTICE OF LETTERS OF SUPPORT - and criminalize the request/issuance of any such Letters of Support.
GOVERNMENT PROJECTS/TENDERS - Who should get it? The Company with the required and PROVEN skill/qualifications...and GOOD TRACK RECORD. > not because it a Company supported by the Prime Minister, PM Political Secretary, Royalty, PH leadership, or anyone [If fact, all such letters should not be allowed into the independent process determining who should be awarded a project/contract]
Why did the company ask the PM's political secretary for a Letter of Support? - Most likely, because it believed that the PM's support(directly/indirectly) will improve its chances of getting the government project/tender.... CORRUPTION?
Why did a Minister, PM or Political Secretary issue such a Letter of Support to a company/individual? ...attempt to influence decision on who gets the project? Was there corruption?
PM - just disclose how many Letters of Support are there since you became PM, and for what projects? Who issued the Letters of Support? Did the company with a Letter of Support succeed in getting the government contract/project?
It is SAD that PM Anwar tries to BELITTLE this 'crime' of attempting to influence the decision making process of government or government-linked projects/contracts?
However, Anwar said forwarding letters and seeking deliberation are not wrong, albeit agreeing that those doing it should be reprimanded. "They should be reprimanded, but does this warrant a firing? Because the letter stated 'sila pertimbangkan' (please consider), not proposing for approval," he said.
WHY does Anwar take this position? Is it because he too had also resorted to issuing 'Letters of Support' to some companies directly or indirectly? So, he does not consider it a CRIME?
What is Anwar saying - Continue with the 'Letters of Support' practice - if caught, just be 'reprimanded' .... The issue is not whether the said aide or 'political secretary' ought to be TERMINATED - but whether the attempted or actual interference in a OPEN TENDER process is a CRIME OR NOT - especially representations that can lead the decision makers to believe that such companies 'are supported by the PM or the government or the Royalty"?
OPEN TENDER is/was a needed reform - the moving away from the government giving a project/contract to a company, without allowing other companies who can do the project/contract the right TO BID - to compete to get a particular project/contract. It ended preferential treatment of certain companies.
BUT the OPEN TENDER reform must also ensure that not only are qualified companies allowed to bid/compete for government projects/contracts - but also the SELECTION process is fair and unbiased. If letters of Support continue to exist - then it may fall short of what we expected of this reform - because it allows Any person ... directly or indirectly by himself or by any other person in any manner whatsoever influences or attempts to influence any decision of which company gets a government project/tender. A provision in law should be there in government decision making as to who is awarded any government or government-linked contract or project...A sample provision is as follows...
Section 34 of the Judicial Appointments Commission Act 2009 - Influencing or attempting to influence the Commission
Any person who, otherwise than in the course of his duty, directly or indirectly by himself or by any other person in any manner whatsoever influences or attempts to influence any decision of the Commission or any member thereof commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both.
The PM should not justify continued WRONGS simply because Opposition States also failed to take an action. If Anwar knew of wrongdoings, he should make the needed REPORTS that will lead to investigation and even prosecution of anyone who tried to WRONGLY influence decision making process of who gets government contracts/projects - is this also NOT an ABUSE OF POWER?
MALAYSIA wants REFORMS - the end of bad practices - so that CLEAN, EFFICIENT government where no one abuses their powers to benefit certain companies..
WE WANT CHANGE - Not a continuation of WRONGS on the basis similar wrongs were done in the past....
WHY did Anwar Ibrahim report as soon as he found out of such LETTERS OF SUPPORT? Is our MADANI government OK with the continuation of such 'bad practices'?
PARLIAMENT | Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called the opposition "hypocrites" for being vocal over alleged letters of support that his aides sent out for companies seeking government projects.
In his response to an opposition MP's question regarding the matter, Anwar read out excerpts from two support letters allegedly written by leaders in the PAS-led Terengganu and Kelantan governments and compared them to those of his aides.
According to the prime minister, the letters by his officers were written as “dipanjangkan” (forwarded for reference) and “untuk pertimbangan” (for deliberation), while those by the state leaders clearly sought approval on behalf of private parties.
"So don't... You need to be consistent. (You made) a big noise about forwarded letters, like it was a grave sin.
"But you kept quiet about letters that seek approval.
"Here I read the letters again: '...for Datuk's approval' which was written by a Terengganu state exco member, while the other one by Kelantan (leader) says 'memohon pertimbang kelulusan' (requesting deliberation for approval)," Anwar said during Minister's Question Time at the Dewan Rakyat.
While Anwar did not name either the Kelantan or Terengganu state leader, he said the letter from the latter was from its Infrastructure, Utilities and Rural Development Committee chairperson.
The prime minister was responding to a question posed by Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (PN-Masjid Tanah), who wanted to know whether the government would conduct an internal audit on ministers' officers.
Anwar reiterates stand
Two of Anwar's political aides have recently been implicated in allegations of penning support letters for companies, which have since gone viral.
The prime minister told the Dewan Rakyat that he had made it clear that he is against the practice of issuing support letters.
However, Anwar said forwarding letters and seeking deliberation are not wrong, albeit agreeing that those doing it should be reprimanded.
"They should be reprimanded, but does this warrant a firing? Because the letter stated 'sila pertimbangkan' (please consider), not proposing for approval," he said. Malaysiakini, 2/12/2025
Ban support letters for those bidding for contracts, says rights group
Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) executive director Latheefa Koya also wants the deputy prime minister to explain if she was aware that her political secretary had issued 'support letters'.
“This is an abuse of governmental power, pure and simple. It should be remembered that the letter was issued under the letterhead of the DPM herself, the second highest elected public official in the country.
“Where then is the change promised so often by Pakatan Harapan?,” Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) executive director Latheefa Koya asked in a statement.
Yesterday, the New Straits Times (NST) reported that Romli Ishak, the political secretary to Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was slammed for issuing a letter about a catering contract to the education minister’s office.
Romli, however, denied any abuse of power, arguing that while he did pen the letter, there was nothing in it to suggest he was recommending the company for the contract.
He also said party members regularly asked for letters to accompany their bids as referrals and “politicians could not turn them down”, but added that he regularly issues such letters for party members to give them “the assurance and confidence to put in bids”.
Latheefa, however, argued that by supporting an applicant simply because he or she is a party member, the office of the deputy prime minister might be denying a better qualified “ordinary rakyat” from getting the contract.
“Is that fair? This negates everything PH ought to stand for, and is the opposite of the Malaysia Baru that has been promised to us.”
She also labelled it an immoral practice, adding that a government is elected into power to serve all citizens equally, and not to give special treatment to party members.
Latheefa also urged Wan Azizah to explain if she was aware that her political secretary was issuing support letters, and whether she was aware of this specific letter and had authorised the issuance of such letters.
If she was not aware, Latheefa said, it raised the serious question of abuse of the deputy prime minister’s letterhead for unauthorised purposes.
“On the other hand, if the DPM was aware, then she must explain why she allowed this type of patronage.
In June, the government decided that ministers and deputy ministers were not allowed to issue letters of support for any tenders or proposals involving the government. FMT, 9/12/2018
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