Penang Malay Chamber supports DAP's open tender push - NST

By : Lee Keng Fatt

GEORGE TOWN, Wed:

The Penang Malay Chamber of Commerce has come out in support of the open tender system to be introduced by the DAP-led state government. Its president Rizal Faris Mohidden said today the chamber would give its full support because they support a competitive market economy, especially in implementing an open tender system for all government procurement and contracts.

"However, this must be done on a level playing field for all races," he said after meeting chief minister Lim Guan Eng at the latter's office at Komtar here. Also present at the meeting were the chamber's management committee members along with representatives from the Penang Chinese Chamber of Commerce (PCCC), the Penang Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (PICCI) and the Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industries (MICCI).

They met Lim to throw the business community's support behind the state government. The four chambers form about 80 per cent of the business community in the state.

Lim recently announced that the state government intended to scrap the old methods of awarding state contracts and replace it with the open tender system. To further promote transparency, information about tender bids would be uploaded to an internet portal which would be accessible by members of the public.

Rizal said the chamber also wanted the state government to ensure all races would be given a fair chance because there was a big gap between races.

“We are hopeful that the state government will co-operate with us in addressing the matter," he said. “Malay entrepreneurs support the state government's plans to practice transparency.”

[More at http://www.nst.com.my/Wednesday/Frontpage/20080326152319/Article/index_html]