KCJ Engineering initially failed Jana Wibawa’s technical assessment, court told

Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin stands accused of seven counts related to his administration's Jana Wibawa programme, a Covid-19 pandemic initiative aimed at supporting Bumiputera contractors. During a recent hearing in the Kuala Lumpur High Court, a finance ministry officer testified that KCJ Engineering Sdn Bhd, the construction firm allegedly involved in the RM800,000 political donation, had initially failed a technical assessment.

Rosni Yusoff, the government procurement division secretary, stated that KCJ Engineering passed both mandatory requirements and financial capability evaluations during the initial assessment. However, the firm was unsuccessful in the technical assessment held on December 15, 2020, at the contractor assessment committee meeting. The committee subsequently reported its findings to the finance ministry, which then received a letter from the prime minister's office instructing a reassessment.

Following this, KCJ Engineering passed all three assessments and was awarded a road construction project linking Felda Bukit Jalor to Gemas, Negeri Sembilan, under the Jana Wibawa programme. The memorandum from the prime minister's office, which prompted the reassessment, was provided by Rosni. The finance ministry would not have proceeded further without this instruction, as a failed assessment would halt the process.

Rosni also revealed that KCJ Engineering would not have been assessed if it had not been recommended by the prime minister's office in a letter dated November 13, 2020. According to the procurement division secretary, assessments were only conducted on companies recommended by the PMO. If KCJ Engineering had not undergone the assessment, it would not have been awarded the project through direct negotiation by the public works department.