KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 19 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has confirmed that no charges will be brought in relation to the now-defunct RM4 billion 1BestariNet project.
In a statement issued today, MACC said that deputy public prosecutors had reviewed the findings of the investigation and concluded that no criminal elements were found in the project’s implementation.
“MACC has received orders from the deputy public prosecutors that none of the parties involved in implementing the 1BestariNet project under the education ministry will face charges,” the commission said.
The anti-graft agency added that deputy public prosecutors have directed it to submit its full report to the Education Ministry, including recommendations for future action.
Among the key recommendations, it added, is for the ministry to enter into discussions with YTL Communications Sdn Bhd to address any unresolved issues related to the project’s contract.
The 1BestariNet project, a long-running initiative to provide high-speed broadband and an integrated Virtual Learning Environment to schools across Malaysia, had previously been under scrutiny due to allegations of corruption.
MACC launched an investigation into payment claims related to the Ministry of Education’s 1BestariNet service tender, valued at RM4 billion, which was awarded to YTL Communications in 2011.
In 2019, the Education Ministry confirmed that it had discontinued the project, yet lingering questions about project deliverables and expenditure have persisted, leading to the MACC probe.
On November 11, Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh told the Dewan Rakyat that the government had not filed any civil suits in court yet and that the MACC investigation was ongoing.
The MACC raided YTL Communications’ office in September.
