IPOH: The Perak government has denied accusations that its selection of contractors for government projects was based on political affiliation.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said that the appointment of contractors for government projects is based on a voting process.
"There is no certificate (contractor registration certificate) to state whether the company owner is from a government party or opposition... even we don't know.
"At the district level, these projects go through a voting process, including projects from the ICU (Implementation Coordination Unit of the Prime Minister's Department). Even during the vote, there is no stamp indicating whether they are from the opposition or government.
"Anyone who enters the tender goes through a vote and it's all about luck. You can't say that if they get it, they're from the government, and if they don't, they're from the opposition.
"Even when going through price quotations, the tender board doesn't know which party they belong to," he said.
Saarani was speaking to reporters after opening the Malaysian Property Expo (Mapex) organised by the Perak Real Estate and Housing Developers' Association (Rehda) here today.
The three-day Mapex Perak 2024, which begins today, involves 20 property developers offering over 5,000 property units, with a total value reaching RM4 billion.
Saarani was commenting on a statement by Sungai Manik assemblyman and Perak Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia secretary Datuk Zainol Fadzi Paharudin, who claimed the state government practised favouritism in selecting contractors.
Zainol Fadzi claimed he had received complaints from several Class F contractors who alleged they were sidelined due to a lack of political connection with government parties.
On another development, Saarani said the state government's decision to review the eligibility of low-cost house buyers in Perak - by raising the household income requirement from RM3,860 to RM5,000 a month this year - has achieved its target, as more applications have been received.
He said the increase, approved through the Perak Housing and Property Board (LPHP) board meeting, was also driven by public demand.
"We raised it based on public demand, and it's proven after more applications were received.
"This aligns with the state government's efforts to expand access to affordable housing, allowing more people to apply and benefit from this opportunity," he said.