30 tender makanan, pembersihan RM108.3 juta disyaki terbabit kartel

Negara Utara Malaysia's Competition Commission of Malaysia (MyCC) has accused 18 companies of price-fixing collusion in 30 food and cleaning services tenders worth RM108.3 million, according to Deputy Trade and Industry Minister Armizan Mohd Ali. The tenders cover catering for schools and public higher education institutions. MyCC announced its preliminary findings on 18 affected companies on October 13.

The tender includes catering services for public schools and higher education institutions (IPTAs). All 30 tenders are valued at RM108.3 million. Armizan said the affected companies have been given an opportunity to submit representations to MyCC before the final decision is made based on received representations and evidence gathered during the investigation.

The investigation found evidence of centralized tender documentation preparation, information exchange, including bid price quotations, and financial sharing among the affected companies.

MyCC also found evidence of human resource sharing among the affected companies. Armizan's statement came after the Ministry of Education (KPM) investigated several companies sharing the same registration address, which could indicate a cartel or collusion in the procurement of the second phase catering services tender for 2026-2029.

Overall, MyCC has taken enforcement action against 58 companies related to price-fixing bids, imposing penalties totaling RM98.49 million. MyCC is also investigating 510 companies suspected of involvement in similar activities, including tenders worth more than RM3 billion in both public and private sectors.