Education Ministry to draw lots to award tenders

KUALA LUMPUR: The education ministry will soon draw lots to award tenders, says minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.
He said the system would replace the earlier method of awarding tenders via meetings to decide which company qualified.
"The ministry is taking into account the welfare of small contractors, and to be fair, we have decided to draw lots.
"It (ministry) has many small-scale contracts such as for supplying food to boarding schools, cleaning school grounds and security control which are appropriate to be given to sub-contractors," he said.
Mahdzir was speaking to reporters after opening the fourth annual general meeting of the Malaysia Class F Bumiputra Contractors Association here today.
Association president Tukiman Radion said drawing of lots was seen as the best method to provide opportunities to small contractors to get government tenders.
He said the association wanted such method to help more than 24,000 Class F contractors in the country. (Class F contractors are Bumiputra companies).
"We welcome this method which is transparent. It can help members of the association which is now 5,000-strong," he added. — Bernama