KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 — A viral screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation between minister Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan and Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz regarding development projects in Kedah were taken out of context, Takiyuddin’s aide asserted today.
Takiyuddin’s political secretary Wan Rohimi Wan Daud clarified that the WhatsApp conversation was part of the Parliament and law affairs minister’s duties in his other role as the coordinating minister between the federal government and Kedah state government.
Wan Rohimi was referring to a screengrab of messages exchanged over the WhatsApp social media platform between Takiyuddin and Tengku Zafrul regarding the involvement of the Kedah state government’s government-linked company Bina Darulaman Berhad (BDB) and a proposal for its joint venture partner Taliworks Corporation to be involved in a development project in Kedah.
“The screenshot of the conversation through WhatsApp was deliberately taken out of context and made viral with malicious intent (niat yang curang) to build negative perception and smear the reputation of the relevant parties,” he said in a statement today.
Wan Rohimi said the prime minister had appointed Takiyuddin to be the coordinating minister between the federal government and the Kedah state government from September 1 onwards, with the duties for such a role including strengthening the ties between the federal government and the Kedah state government through the channelling of accurate information to be in line with national policies.
The duties also include giving special attention as the facilitator towards issues that are raised whether they are programmes or development projects between the federal government’s ministries, departments or agencies and the Kedah state government, as well as being the facilitator for the channelling of the federal government’s welfare aid to the people of Kedah, he said.
Other duties for Takiyuddin in such a role also include being joint chairman with the Kedah mentri besar in the management of disasters, and any duties as instructed by the prime minister from time to time involving cooperation between the federal government and the Kedah state government, he added.
“In line with that, I am pleased to state that the screenshot of the conversation (discussion) through the WhatsApp application is part of the scope of duties and responsibilities of YB Dato’ Takiyuddin Hassan in his capacity as the coordinating minister between the federal government and the Kedah state government, to give special attention as facilitator especially in development matters involving the federal ministries/departments/agencies and the Kedah state government,” he said.
Wan Rohimi also attached Kedah mentri besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s statement dated yesterday to explain the WhatsApp conversation.
What the Kedah MB said
In his statement dated yesterday, Muhammad Sanusi said he had received the viral printscreen of the WhatsApp conversation between Takiyuddin and Tengku Zafrul, before going on to explain that it was regarding the Kedah GLC BDB’s involvement in the Plubang water treatment plant project in a long process that had started since 2018.
He explained that open tenders were issued for four of the five water treatment plants to be built in Kedah in the near future, while the remaining one — Plubang water treatment plant — was given through direct negotiations with BDB as this project was funded by the Kedah government’s borrowings from the federal government.
“This is a normal practice since the income of GLCs will be reused to help the state government carry out government programmes. BDB will appoint partner companies and contractors from various expertise and capabilities (financial and technical) to carry out the projects obtained, if needed,” he said.
Muhammad Sanusi said that the previous procurement procedures allowed the state government to issue letters of acceptance (LA) to those selected for projects to be implemented via borrowings, while projects funded by grants would see the federal government issuing the LA instead.
“Since the federal government’s policies regarding the procurement procedure for projects have changed, the state government was forced to obtain the Finance Ministry’s approval although it is a project funded by borrowings. Therefore several letters and related documents were sent by the state government for checks and approval by the Finance Ministry a few weeks ago.
“Since time was running short for the Plubang water treatment plant to be expedited in order to ensure the water supply to several districts does not experience crisis, therefore I asked for the help of the Kedah-Federal Coordinating Minister (Dato’ Takiyuddin) to check the status of Kedah’s application with the finance minister,” he said.
In relation to that, Muhammad Sanusi said Taliwork which had just completed its 25-year concession of water management in Kedah’s Langkawi had applied for that project to be implemented by them and BDB in a joint venture, and that this application had been presented to the federal government.
“Therefore, the finance minister informed the coordinating minister about Taliwork’s intention to be the joint venture partner of BDB. This matter was then conveyed by the coordinating minister to the Kedah state government.
“As BDB had already appointed the contractor and joint venture partner for the Plubang water treatment plant project since August, and had even carried out a groundbreaking ceremony for that project, so the state government proposed that Taliwork can be considered to partner in coming projects, among others the water treatment plant to Langkawi that had been announced by the federal government a few years ago.
“However, it is still subject to the procedures and process for government procurements as determined by the federal government (open tender or direct negotiation with GLC),” the Kedah mentri besar said when explaining the WhatsApp conversation.
Muhammad Sanusi said that he had already announced the awarding of the Plubang water treatment plant project to BDB in the last Kedah state legislative assembly meeting in a transparent manner, noting: “This is not a new move, and it had been agreed on since 2018. There is nothing odd and hidden about that procurement.”
“I am of the view the printscreen between the finance minister and the coordinating minister was deliberately made viral in the wrong context to give a bad perspective towards the Perikatan Nasional government and the leaders of the government of the day. This is a bad habit of interested parties who are disappointed and weak (kelemasan),” he said.
Both Takiyuddin and Muhammad Sanusi are from PAS, the party that is currently leading the Kedah state government.