A police report has brought the long-running dispute over the national stadium track replacement into a new phase.
Former Malaysia Stadium Corporation chief executive officer Iliyas Jamil lodged the report on June 15 while still formally holding the post but under suspension, alleging irregularities in the procurement process.
In his report, Iliyas asked police to investigate the procurement process, saying the award was made after his suspension and questioning the selection of the successful bidder.
He also told police that he had already given information on the matter to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), including witness statements and a statutory declaration.
The police have not said whether they have opened an investigation.
The complaint adds a new dimension to one of the most closely watched procurement exercises in Malaysian sport.
Earlier reporting by FMT revealed that the tender board departed from the technical evaluation and awarded the contract for two new athletics tracks to the second-ranked bidder.
The RM15 million-plus project covers the replacement of the running tracks at the national stadium and the national sports council’s mini stadium ahead of the 2027 SEA Games.
FMT previously reported that the evaluation committee gave the highest score to the bid proposing the Italian-made Mondo system. Another bidder offering China’s JRace system finished more than 13 points behind.
The tender board nevertheless awarded the contract to the JRace proposal.
That decision triggered widespread debate within Malaysia’s athletics community. Athletes, coaches and officials questioned the procurement process, while others asked why the evaluation leader did not secure the contract.
JRace holds World Athletics Class 1 certification, making it eligible to host international competitions. The current tracks at both venues, however, are Mondo surfaces installed before the 2017 SEA Games.
Mondo systems have been used at Olympic Games, World Athletics Championships and other major international competitions.
The issue, critics argue, has never centred on whether JRace meets international standards. Instead, they have questioned why the evaluation outcome did not determine the final award.
Before lodging the police report, Iliyas had also raised his concerns with the MACC.
When contacted, the corporation’s chairman Dr Helmy Haja Mydin said: “As there is an MACC investigation into the matter, we will leave it in their good hands.”
The police report predates the criminal proceedings now faced by Iliyas.
He was charged at the Kuala Lumpur sessions court on June 18 with seven counts of soliciting and receiving RM1.45 million in bribes linked to an RM8.73 million tender to upgrade the national squash centre in Bukit Jalil.
Prosecutors allege that he solicited RM1 million and later received RM450,000 from a contractor as an inducement to appoint a particular construction company.
Iliyas has pleaded not guilty to all seven charges, all of which are unrelated to the national stadium track replacement.