KUALA LUMPUR – Asia Mobility Technologies Sdn Bhd’s part in the proof-of-concept (PoC) for a Selangor Mobility pilot project is based on merit, and that is how projects should be awarded, said the co-founders of the firm now in the spotlight for family links with a cabinet minister.
Co-founder and chief executive officer Ramachandran Muniandy, who is married to Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, said the public should take into account Asia Mobiliti’s capabilities and track record in addressing public transportation woes.
He pointed to how the company is heading into its seventh month of running the Demand Responsive Transit (DRT) trial after the state appointed the company in October last year, with the service’s first phase commencing the following month.
“(It’s as if critics are saying) we don’t care how good you are, we want to see who you’re married to. They don’t care whether or not we can do the job…what kind of logic is this?
“As far as we’re concerned, the issue now is about meritocracy. We have proven that we’ve got the expertise and licencing to do it, (as) we went through due processes in order to operate a service that can be safely run for the state.
“In doing so, we managed to convince relevant stakeholders that this (DRT) is a viable solution,” Ramachandran said as a guest speaker on the Trick Lama podcast show. It was hosted by the three founders of Big Boom Media, which publishes Scoop – group chief executive Datuk Zainul Ariffin, group executive Datuk Ahirudin Attan (aka Rocky) and group editor-in-chief Terence Fernandez.
The tech firm’s co-founder, Premesh Chandran, who was also a guest on the podcast, said that while he understands concerns raised regarding Ramachandran’s personal ties with a minister, the public should focus on the facts surrounding the company’s selection.
“We’re not just here to make a profit, but we want a better country (by) solving real problems people are facing regarding traffic,” said Premesh, who is also a co-founder and former chief executive officer of news portal MalaysiaKini.
“Citizens are tired of abuse of power and taxpayers’ money going down the drain (when) contracts go to those with no merits. We’re here to show that Asia Mobiliti is not one of those companies, (as) we have a great product solving real problems.
“We have delivered excellently and now the project is going further. This shows that we’re serious about the work, which is what the rakyat wants to see.”
Referencing his past with MalaysiaKini, Premesh said if he were not part of Asia Mobiliti, he would also be asking the questions that have been thrown at Asia Mobiliti recently, such as why it was selected, if its selection was based on merit, and if it has delivered.
The company, Selangor government and Yeoh are currently in the spotlight over Ramachandran’s ties to the minister amid concerns that the PoC was awarded to his firm without an open tender.
Selangor Investment, Trade and Mobility executive councillor Ng Sze Han has said the decision to involve only Asia Mobiliti and another firm, Badan Bas Coach Sdn Bhd, in the proof-of-concept phase was based on the fact that they were the only companies licenced by the Land Public Transport Agency.
Asia Mobiliti, meanwhile, has said an open tender would have “created a monopoly” in a “highly specialised service”, which only it and Badan Bas were qualified to perform.
Various figures, including Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari, have since asserted that Yeoh did not influence the state’s decision to appoint her husband’s company for the DRT pilot project.
Ramachandran told the Trick Lama podcast show that he was confident that “mudslingers” criticising his involvement with the DRT would be silenced by his adherence to transparent governance.
He said Asia Mobiliti had consistently practised transparency and accountability in its decision-making processes, and that he and Yeoh had foreseen criticism coming their way.
“We (he and Yeoh) obviously went into this with our eyes wide open, we knew this day would come at some point (when) someone would stir something and link it all up. So, we’ve been super transparent. If the questions come, we can answer them.”
When asked whether he would have handled matters differently, considering the flak received, Ramachandran answered in the negative.
“Asia Mobiliti is not a political party. We’re a technological company. It’s not our job to fight perceptions, we need to focus on building technology.
“We’re not hiding our intentions. Hannah has had to pay a big price for the political perceptions (surrounding Asia Mobiliti’s selection), but is that really the message we want to teach our kids and send out to corporate Malaysia?” he said, reiterating that the public’s focus should be on Asia Mobiliti’s merits and its transparency.
“We could have easily hidden and concealed (our business dealings and shareholders), but we decided not to do that, (as) we’re resolute in the fact that (such practices) need to change,” he said.
“We have the nation’s interest at heart. Ultimately, we’re doing this because we want to see improvements. (Asking us to withdraw from the pilot project) would be akin to robbing the people of a company with talent and know-how from actually contributing and being industrious.
“We have a lot of people alongside us tracking what we’ve been doing all this while. They’ve seen how we’ve achieved global recognition,” he added.
Asia Mobiliti is the only Malaysian firm on the Top 100 Resiliency Solutions list in the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge for its DRT solution, which uses tech for transport operators to respond to multiple bookings within a predefined zone. Vehicles are then dispatched to provide a shared-ride service.
The firm and its appointment to run Selangor’s proof-of-concept DRT trial is now being probed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. – June 2, 2024