SARAWAK Report was quick to equate the Digital Nasional Bhd (DNB) initiative as a 1Malaysia Development Fund (1MDB) in the making following yesterday’s (Dec 9) revelation by Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin that the Finance Ministry (MOF) insisted on ‘hijacking’ the project despite protest from his ministry.

“Just like 1MDB, the whole process has been hijacked by an arrogant (and this time entirely unelected) fellow at the MOF who has immediately placed the project without any tendering or consultation under the murky purview of a so-called special purpose vehicle (SPV) of his own choice,” commented the whistleblowing site.

“This SPV has turned out to be an entirely new entity with no previous capital nor existing staff nor infrastructure. ‘Starting from scratch’ as the minister (Zahidi) put it: just like 1MDB.”

Zahidi told the Parliament yesterday that his ministry was instructed by MOF to give the 5G spectrum contract to DNB without any consultations.

“We raised questions about the pricing as DNB will be selling to telecommunication companies (telcos) but DNB assured us that the price will be cheaper than 4G. That was their guarantee,” the Padang Besar MP pointed out.

“It’s quite a miracle that DNB will be selling the 5G spectrum at a lower price to telcos but we had to agree.”

The deputy minister was responding to Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (Ledang-PH) on when DNB was going to brief Parliament on its plans for 5G.

Many participating telcos had complained of a lack of transparency on the project by DNB. Although the Communications and Multimedia Ministry had wanted to consult with DNB on the matter, MOF steamrolled the decision and the ministry had to accept it, according to Zahidi.

Sarawak Report praised Zahidi for being honourable and right to complain that the role of his ministry and its professional staff and how its infrastructure has been sidelined rather than utilised for its proper purpose.

“He is right to insinuate a corrupt intent or at the very least an arrogant foolhardiness that needs reined in,” noted the whistleblowing site.

“And it’s not just Malaysians who ought be wary. The only thing that looks, swims and quacks differently from 1MDB in this latest UMNO brainchild is that a major western company has stepped in to partner the project. How deeply have they scrutinised their Malaysian counterparts it is fair to ask?” – Dec 10, 2021