Sarawak schools solar project: Managing director, lawyer remanded

PUTRAJAYA: Two men, a managing director and a lawyer of a Bintulu-based company have been remanded to assist investigations into misappropriation of a solar hybrid project contract for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.
Magistrate Shah Wira Abdul Halim issued the six-day remand from today, to help the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) with their investigation.
The 59-year-old managing director was arrested at 5.30pm yesterday, while the lawyer, aged 30, was detained about two hours earlier when they appeared at the MACC headquarters here to give their statements.
The case is being investigated under Section 18 (a) of the MACC Act 2009 for making false claims.
The duo, who arrived at the courthouse in MACC lock-up attire at 9.30am, were handcuffed.
In early June, an online portal reported the possibility of misappropriation in the award of contract for a solar hybrid project in Sarawak worth RM2.5 billion, which was allegedly awarded directly under the directive of a former Malaysian leader.
The leader had also allegedly instructed the Education Ministry in January last year to appoint a car rental company in Bintulu to undertake the project in installing solar panels at 369 rural schools in Sarawak.
On June 11, Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik said the Ministry of Education had begun conducting an internal investigation to identify individuals involved in the misappropriation of contract award for the supply of solar energy and diesel to 369 schools in Sarawak.
Some 369 schools in Sarawak are without fixed electricity supply and are only using diesel generators for electricity supply.
Prior to 2017, diesel was supplied to schools by contractors on a contract basis.
From Jan 1, 2017, Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd, which was originally one of the contractors involved, was granted the contract to supply electricity to all 369 schools for a period of three years until Dec 31, 2019 with a contract value of 'over RM1 billion' inclusive of Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Apart from supplying diesel to the rural schools in Sarawak, the company was also involved in the installation of solar hybrid systems and maintenance of generators in the 369 schools. — Bernama