KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 19): An investigation by the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) has provisionally found seven enterprises to have colluded in their bid submissions for four tenders issued by the Ministry of Defence for provision of goods and services worth about RM20.8 million.

Its investigations also revealed that the firms had engaged in bid rigging through the exchange of information, facilitation of tender submission and subcontracting as a kickback, said the commission in a statement on Tuesday.

According to the commission, it had issued a proposed decision against the companies.

"It is important to highlight that MyCC’s findings are provisional and it should not be assumed that any enterprise has infringed the Competition Act 2010 at this stage," it said.   

The commission added that all these enterprises can submit their written representation within 30 days from the date of service of the proposed decision.

"They also have the option to present their response orally at a later date, which will be determined after receiving their written submissions," it said.

According to the statement, the enterprises that were implicated by their participation in the tenders were:

MyCC chief executive officer Iskandar Ismail said the authority is firmly committed to collaborating with the government to eliminate bid-rigging cartels, in tandem with the aspiration of the government.  

“We deem cartel activities as the supreme evil in competition law. MyCC remains dedicated to our ongoing investigations into bid-rigging cartels and anticipates releasing more decisions in the coming months,” Iskandar said.

“MyCC’s dedicated team of investigators have been working tirelessly to uncover and dismantle these harmful bid-rigging cartels. Their extensive research and meticulous analysis have led to the investigation of cases involving more than 500 companies for tenders’ worth over RM2 billion. We would like to thank the Ministry of Defence for their openness and excellent cooperation,” Iskandar added.