The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has recommended for action to be taken against several high-ranking officials from Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) over the RM14.39mil paid for a research ship.
The PAC, in its report over the procurement of the research vessel contract by UMT, named two former university vice-chancellors, Prof Datuk Dr Abd Aziz Deraman and Prof Datuk Dr Sulaiman Md Yassin, and its development director Mohd Zaideen Yusoff as among those responsible.
In its report, PAC had branded the procurement of RV Discovery as projek sakit (problematic project).
“Although the ship was completed, it was not a research ship as per the contract’s original objective, and it is a waste,” read the report, which was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday.
The PAC also urged for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to initiate investigations on the said procurement of the ship.
The university had commissioned the construction of the research vessel for RM11.99mil for the purpose of teaching, learning and research in 2004.
The Economic Planning Unit had approved the scope of the procurement via the Ninth Malaysia Plan with a ceiling allocation of RM12.5mil.
However, the project went through two changes that led to the cost to balloon from RM11.99mil to RM14.39mil.
The 2012 Auditor-General’s Report had highlighted the cost overrun and discovered that the ship was unable to set sail as it did not have Passenger Certificate.
“The Marine Department found that the ship needed to comply with the Special Purpose Ship Code and Special Purpose Ship Certificate. However, the Department found that it cannot issue the Special Purpose Ship Certificate and the ship was categorised as a mere cargo ship,” said PAC.-thestaronline
