The Selangor Government has come under fire for spending RM14.5mil on garbage compressor trucks allegedly to assist crony companies that have been awarded garbage disposal contracts.
Selangor Barisan Nasional coordinator Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed said the move was absurd as companies which did not have garbage compressor trucks were not qualified to bid for the contracts.
“People must ask why the state government cancelled the Alam Flora contract in order to give the job to cronies who do not even have the basic tools for it,” he said.
He was commenting on Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd’s (KDEB) purchase of 50 China-made garbage trucks at a cost of RM290,000 each.
Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said the local councils would lease the trucks to the contractors.
“Until today, Pakar (Selangor Barisan Nasional Rakyat Service Centre) is still receiving complaints of uncollected garbage,” said Mohd Zin, adding that the China-made trucks were also nowhere in sight.
Former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo also chided the Pakatan Rakyat government for burdening the local councils with additional expenditure.
He added that the state government had defied the basic conditions that those bidding for garbage collection contracts should own garbage compressors.
“Apparently, there wasn’t an open tender for the purchase of the garbage trucks. And why must the Selangor Government buy through KDEB which is a third party?” he asked.
Khir said making purchases via a third party would incur extra costs.
“We find this fishy because, by right, the local councils should negotiate directly with foreign suppliers.”
Khir also noted that RM290,000 for a China-made truck did not seem right.
