Kuala lumpur: The Ministry of Finance (MoF) is set to conduct a detailed evaluation of potential improvements to the Selected Pre-Qualified Open Tender Procurement Method (Selected Pre-Q Procurement) if it is reintroduced in the future.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying emphasized that any enhancements must tackle areas susceptible to manipulation and ensure transparency throughout the procurement process. Lim explained that the Selected Pre-Q Procurement serves as a streamlined version of the existing pre-qualification tender, designed to expedite procurement by allowing immediate project awards to successful companies.
Addressing the Dewan Rakyat during the debate on the Auditor-General’s Report (LKAN) 2/2025, Lim highlighted the need for the Ministry to refine control mechanisms to eliminate loopholes that could lead to manipulation during both stages of the tender process. She noted the importance of preventing non-compliant companies from being shortlisted and subsequently invited in the second stage if the method is reinstated.
The LKAN 2/2025 report, released on July 21, revealed that the implementation of the Selected Pre-Q Procurement in three ministries failed to achieve its goal of accelerating the procurement process. This was attributed to manipulation and a lack of transparency, with only select companies being approved to participate in tenders. The method’s implementation period was from March 15, 2023, to December 31, 2024.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir clarified that the report audited the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change (NRECC), which managed the procurement process at the time. He pointed out issues such as non-compliance with invitation terms and repeated invitations to the same company for various projects. Additionally, Akmal noted that the selection method for company information sources or documents in the first-stage evaluation had been approved by the NRECC Procurement Board, and a review showed that 52 companies passed the pre-qualification stage.