KLUANG - Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin denies being involved in awarding the 1BestariNet service tender while serving as Education Minister.
"Wallahi, I did not take a single cent," he said in response to a question regarding the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) investigation into the payment claims for the RM4 billion 1BestariNet service tender awarded to YTL Communications Sdn Bhd (YTL) in 2011.
The former prime minister said that it was up to the MACC to carry out an investigation into the matter.
"Yes, I was the Education Minister at the time, but it was proposed to hold an open, international tender and the decision was made by the then Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
"One of the original plans of this programme was for all schools in our country to have the internet butthere were other problems regarding the implementation, which I am not aware of. As for the MACC wanting to investigate, that is their right; I am not involved in that matter.
"Do not harbour any suspicions just because I was the (Education) Minister at that time. I did not review the contract, did not look into the allocation; everything was provided by the government, by the Finance Ministry," he said.
He said this after attending Kenduri Rakyat at Kampung Bentong here on Friday.
The Bersatu president stressed that he only learned about the MACC’s investigation into the payment claims for the 1BestariNet service tender from the newspapers.
"There is a new story about false claims. I do not know; I only read what was written in the newspapers.
"Previously, I had been investigated because someone filed a complaint, but no action was taken. I do not know why it is being raised again," he said.
On Wednesday, the MACC was reported to have initiated an investigation into the payment claims for the 1BestariNet service tender of the Ministry of Education, valued at RM4 billion, which was awarded to YTL Communications Sdn Bhd in 2011.
According to sources, the MACC had conducted raids on government offices and YTL's office in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.
The MACC is also understood to be reviewing and identifying witnesses to be called to provide statements to assist in the investigation, which revolves around documents containing false details involving payments amounting to approximately RM2.7 billion.