Zahid runs foul of anti-nepotism law, says C4 director

Home minister questioned about brother's involvement and existing firms in foreign worker contract

KUALA LUMPUR: The home minister, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, is in danger of running foul of anti-nepotism provisions in the law against corruption, says anti-corruption campaigner Cynthia Gabriel.

She said the law listed spouses, brothers and sisters, and other family members in the definition of “relative” in the anti-nepotism provision in the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act.

A firm owned by Zahid’s brother, Real Time Networking, is bidding for a contract to bring in 1.5 million migrant workers from Bangladesh. Zahid has faced criticism in forwarding the company’s proposal to the home ministry, with a hand-written minute for the proposal to be reviewed by ministry officials in “a fair and objective manner”.

Gabriel, who heads the C4 Centre pressure group, said Zahid’s action violated international ethics codes. His brother, Abdul Hakim Hamidi, had been given an unfair advantage over two other competing firms when the home minister himself had added a special note to the proposal.

She said nepotism was understood to mean preferential treatment of a relative of a public official, advancing a public official’s private interests (in getting perks, for a relative) at the expense of the public interest (in having the most qualified person in that position).

Zahid should explain the rationale for recruting 1.5 million more migrant workers as well as the sudden emergence of Real Time Networking when two other companies, NERS Sdn Bhd and MyEG, already provided similar services in the migrant worker business, she said.

“Zahid must explain what has become of NERS, which had won a 12-year contract to record and monitor the immigration of foreign workers to Malaysia in 2011,” she said.

“Malaysian taxpayers are curious why another company is bidding for the Home Ministry contact when NERS already issues visit passes for temporary employment, and obtains a payment of RM50 for each pass issued. This comes under the jurisdiction of the Immigration Department which reports to the Home Ministry.”

She pointed out that the other company, MyEG Services, had faced complaints of monopoly and have been investigated by the Competition Commission after being appointed in January as the sole online service provider of visit passes for temporary employment with each renewal costing RM38.

Gabriel said Zahid should let the public know what had happened to the investigation.