I was rather amused to read the latest purchasing disaster apparently conducted by the Health Ministry. The matter was a front page headline story in The Sun with an eye-catching lead: ‘STOP IT!’ The Sun editors, in a loud and clear voice said, ‘stop it!’ Need more be said?
What I do not understand is why it is so difficult for government departments to follow simple and straightforward guidelines for how to conduct a public purchase; which is very clear and non-confusing process under the Financial Procedures Act. It has been there for ages.
My sceptical answer to the same question is: “There are vested interests, however.” While I was still in public service, we used to hear about many ‘surat wahyu’, or letters from some ‘higher public official’ regarding a purchase or preference to particular suppliers, which may have no ‘locus standi’, but somehow, most public servants do not know how to see through this deception because of fear for their own promotions, etc.
Therefore the latest case of proposed medical equipment purchase within the Health Ministry is an important and relevant case story to point out especially, since, even the American public administration does not appear to be able to buy relevant and suitable equipment to protect and preserve high quality medical care for all concerned.
Consequentially in the US, two nurses in Texas contracted Ebola virus from an infected patient because their medical equipment was not up to the mark in terms of Ebola contamination prevention.
Therefore, such medical equipment and its purchase however may not be the place to ‘test false nationalism’, or even a Made in Malaysia campaign, or a Made in America products promotion agenda. Apparently Doctors without Borders already had outfits that were a good fit and preventive for this purpose.
What I find even more disturbing is the fact that the International Trade and Industry Ministry (Miti) supposedly “issued the letter or recommendation” to support the procurement of this specified medical technology because “they were locally manufactured”.
Was this really true? If true, someone from the ministy must explain the full medical implications of using such local standards, or may be the lack thereof, because this may not be subject matter under the jurisdiction of the ministry.
What is worse, as reported by R Nadeswaran of The Sun , both the company and the product they distribute were not yet certified under the Medical Devices Authority. All else about the company is also ‘questionable’ to say the least. How and why did the ministry issue then such a letter? This is a matter for investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). I volunteer to conduct the investigation, if invited by the ministry.
National car project
When Proton was first launched, and over time, its production was increasingly localised, the bumiputra agenda crept into the calculus in the selection and development of vendors. Many Japanese and other component manufacturers were ‘literally arm-twisted’ to localise their production functions, and especially to ‘contract local bumiputra companies’ through our public policy on the front door nationalisation of all parts and components.
Malay public servants and colleagues were encouraged to become entrepreneurs.
Of course, the localisation agenda was 100 percent; and for reserved for bumiputra players only. Initially they were all genuine components players but over time, this deteriorated to those with links to any of the BN parties and their related cronies.
It became so bad that, once while I was still at the National Institute of Public Administration (Intan) in the early 1980s, I tried to help one Old Putera of the Royal Military College (RMC) to secure the rights to supply safety seat belts, as he was already in that tape business. Try as I did, I did not succeed to get this competent and capable supplier and his Australian partner into the Proton supply game.
Therefore, I ask again, what then is the current role of international investment and business partners without the benefit of an infant industry argument which was valid for the auto industry, especially for the supply of such complex and complicated medical devices? Is it simply like ‘taking a local agency contract’ and then supplying the devices; without knowledge of the technical standards and qualities of full-fledged medical issues and related implications?
While this model worked for the simpler manufacturing industry of an automobile, the same may not be true for the medical devices industry. In the case of Proton it involved completely built-up units or CBU for cars when we first collaborated with Mitsubishi, but surely there is more to it, when we are dealing with medical equipment, devices, and related ethics and standards.
An automobile does not have other equally qualified professionals with related ethical views and opinions; as does the field of medicine which is a life science.
A Malaysian-manufactured car may have become a reality, regardless of the costs; the field of medicine is however very different. One is always dealing with a live patient and the goal is always to save the patient, at any cost, and no risk is too great; but only for medical personnel, not businessmen.
Backdoor bribery and corruption
Any Malaysian government official in the procurement business is fully aware of the existence of ‘surat wahyu system of backdoor corruption for unfair influence peddling’. Let us simply agree that this is wrong, wherever it is done, because the ultimate concern in the medical field is the live-saving agenda of the patient before us. There can be no compromises.
Therefore it is very encouraging that the health minister has promised a full investigation and directed the secretary-general to keep the media updated on all related issues. I hope and pray that the Public Services of Malaysia fully understands the moral and ethical issues we are dealing with here.
Human lives cannot be sacrificed at the altar of greed and avarice under some ‘notional public policies of disrepute’. All purchasing officers must follow due process and let me assure the public service; that with a more credible audit system today, and a clear public procurement policy, with more transparent open procurement, even public policies of various forms can be accommodated so long as we have serious industry players, and not fraudulent players and actors.
The health minister, who is a medical doctor by training and professional ethics, must take the bull by the horns and set a new standard whereby, in matter of medical supplies and procurement, no compromise of medical and procurement ethics is made to compromise the quality of care given to every patient. I wait for the Health Ministry to come clean on this matter, before jumping on to the newer issue of ‘profitable free blood!’ which is headlined now by The Star .
