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From: AFP
Date: 05 May 1999
Time: 13:15:39
KUALA LUMPUR, May 5 (AFP) - Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's two sons were each awarded contracts for a privatised project by the government last year, the official Bernama news agency reported Wednesday. Deputy minister in the prime minister's department, Fauzi Abdul Rahman, told parliament one of the projects was an equity acquisition in a shipping firm by Konsortium Perkapalan Bhd. for 103.78 million ringgit (27 million dollars).
Mirzan, the premier's eldest son, owns 49.49 percent equity in Konsortium, a major haulage entity, Fauzi said in a written reply to questions from imprisoned former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar, who remains a member of parliament pending his appeal against his six year jail conviction last month for corruption, had asked Mahathir to disclose the number and cost of privatised projects awarded to companies owned by his children.
Fauzi said the other project was the privatisation of hospital support services for the southern region awarded to Tongkah Medivest Sdn. Bhd., in which Mokhzani Mahathir owns a 13.19 percent stake.
Mahathir, who has ruled Malaysia for 18 years, has seven children -- four sons and three daughters.
Anwar, who was sacked as deputy premier and finance minister by Mahathir in September last year, Tuesday challenged the premier to make public the companies headed by his children.
He also called for an independent committee to investigate the award of all government projects and corporate shareholdings.
Anwar will go to trial again on June 7 on the sodomy charge. He still faces another corruption charge and four more counts of sodomy, a criminal offence in Malaysia with up to 20 years in jail plus whipping.