KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry (KPM) has denied claims by the Malaysian Safety Industry Association (PIKM) that it did not continue the contract of a security company which ended on Dec 31.
In a statement issued today, the ministry stressed that all contracts which ended at that time were re-tendered according to present-day needs as was the new norms for the ministry.
“In this matter, the ministry has never victimised any party and never terminated the services of 12,000 security guards as claimed by the PIKM.
“Contracts which were re-tendered were by security companies which were registered with the Home Ministry and the Ministry of Finance, based on current needs such as the number of shifts and workers,“ it said.
The ministry also said the company which had previously obtained a contract from it had also participated in the tender process which was conducted in a fair and transparent manner with integrity.
Yesterday, the president of PIKM, Datuk Seri Mustapa Ali was reported as urging the Education Ministry to review the contracts of security staff in schools which had been changed from two shifts to three each day.
Mustapa claimed that the terms of the contract caused the jobs of 12,000 school security guards to be terminated by the Education Ministry.
The KPM has stressed that it was not involved with the termination and intake of security guards as the services were obtained through a private company.
“It is done by the company which obtained the contract. Since the participation was by tender according to the price offered, it would not be fair for the ministry to be fully responsible about the guards taken in by the company which received the contract from the ministry,“ the statement.
The statement said the new contract for the services was based on the scope and specifications agreed by both parties, namely the appointed company and the ministry. — Bernama
