PUTRAJAYA: The government is resolute in its commitment to combat corruption, including thorough investigations and decisive actions by enforcers against all parties involved in the case, said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Referring to the scandal surrounding the tender for the Government vehicle supply, repair, and maintenance project (Fleet Project) awarded to Spanco, Anwar revealed that he had been vigilant about this issue during his tenure as the Finance Minister under Tun Dr Mahathir's administration.
He criticised the previous administration for needing more political will to address corruption, paying no heed to the matter rather than taking substantial actions.
"It seemed as though everyone remained silent, indifferent to the enforcement actions being undertaken. Some may label this an old political vendetta, but everyone was involved in utilising Spanco's facilities.
"I have consistently voiced concerns about this issue since my time as the Finance Minister. I recognised irregularities in that contract, which proved detrimental to the country and disadvantaged civil servants.
"However, there needed to be more urgency, and no concrete actions were taken, revealing a deficiency in political determination.
"This is not the case now; I commend the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for their steadfast commitment to fulfilling their duties and investigating those involved," he said.
On Jan 20, MACC conducted a raid at the residence of a businessman holding the title Tan Sri as part of an investigation into corruption allegations related to the procurement and management of the government's fleet of vehicles valued at RM4.5 billion.
The concession for the supply and management of government vehicles has been held by Spanco Sdn Bhd since 1993. However, an open tender was initiated after the contract expired in 2019.
Berjaya Group and Naza Sdn Bhd later formed a consortium and secured the contract through a Letter of Intent (LoI) in the same year.
In July, Berjaya's founder, Vincent Tan, filed a lawsuit against the Finance Ministry and Spanco regarding the terminated LoI, claiming that the contract was awarded to Spanco despite their higher bid.
Tan's allegations prompted calls for a MACC investigation, but there were no developments until the recent raid.
Anwar added that his administration's unwavering commitment to zero tolerance for corruption, asserting that everyone will be held accountable if found guilty.
"When it comes to comprehensive measures against corruption, our position remains steadfast. I faced criticism for instructing all agencies to uphold strict standards, shielding them from leaders engaged in malpractices.
"Some political parties maintain a firm stance, while collusion with former leaders accumulating wealth persists.
"Consistency is key – for any instance of corruption in this nation, I have directed the IRB, MACC, and my fellow cabinet members to emphasise that there is no room for compromise in administration," he said.