THE Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) must investigate why the trans Sabah gas pipeline (TSGP) has been revived, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) presidential council said. 

According to the council, the government’s decision to revive the project – as announced by Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz in Parliament recently – is shocking.

“The MACC must investigate why the failed trans Sabah gas and multi-product pipeline projects were restarted on February 10 by Perikatan Nasional under the leadership of former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin,” they said in a statement. 

In a written reply in the Dewan Rakyat earlier this month, Tengku Zafrul revealed that the previous PN-led government had decided to revive the trans Sabah pipeline.

Meanwhile, he said further studies and negotiations will be carried out with China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau to decide the direction of the multi-product project.

He said in line with the cabinet’s decision in February, the Finance Ministry and its wholly owned subsidiary, project owner Suria Strategic Energy Resources Sdn Bhd (SSER), began discussions with the Chinese concern.

PH scrapped the BN-approved projects when it took over the federal government in 2018 upon finding that 88% of the construction value or RM8.3 billion was had been paid, although only 13% of the work had been completed.

“The total construction value of pipelines is RM9.4 billion without taking into account the additional cost of various expert management and land acquisition of RM1.7 billion.”

PH also urged the MACC to redouble its efforts to investigate the Pandora Papers – in which a number of Malaysian corporate figures and politicians alleged to have off-shore accounts have been named – and whether the money kept in these accounts came from legitimate sources. – October 23, 2021.