Fashion, Escalators. . .and a Company with a Diverse Skillset

Various media outlets in Malaysia recently reported on controversy surrounding a company winning a government contract to repair an escalator serving a light rail transit (LRT) station in Kuala Lumpur. Internet sleuths discovered that the winner of the government tender for escalator repairs was a clothing company called Bossque Skyline Sdn. Bhd. Serving the Sri Rampai LRT station in the northern part of the city, the escalator had been out of service for more than five years, The Rakyat Post was among outlets to report, going on to say that the Malaysia United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) questioned how a clothing company could win such a contract and implying cronyism. On June 15, one day after MUDA released its statement questioning the contract, Kuala Lumpur City Hall announced the escalator had been fixed — by which company or entity is unclear. However, city officials stand by their decision to award the contract to Bossque Skyline, saying in a media statement that the company met all criteria, acquired a certificate of government procurement and “has certification from the Ministry of Finance under the appropriate code to carry out repair work and other certifications for contracting work, including mechanical, electrical and engineering.”