These certificates allow the journalist to undertake not just road construction, but also major projects such as clinics and schools.
In fact, it could have been just RM1,499 if not for an unexpected and unrelated issue involving the police.
For only RM1,499, the journalist was promised the Contractor Registration Certificate (PPK), Government Work Procurement Certificate (SPKK), and Bumiputera Status Certificate (STB).
These credentials enable her to register as a G1 contractor and undertake projects such as road construction and facility building, including schools and clinics.
In October 2024, the journalist engaged a consultant from A** Consult, who then guided her through registering a company with the Companies Commission of Malaysia and opening a business account.
When the journalist asked about the RM10,000 paid-up capital requirement for Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) registration, the consultant replied:
This we can adjust.
He then shared his fee breakdown: RM599 for all three certifications, RM750 for technical certification, and RM100 to "adjust" the journalist's bank statement.
The agent said the journalist would need to pay only after her PPK and SPKK were approved.
The technical certificate is a CIDB requirement that ensures a contractor's competency — without it, you cannot apply for SPKK.
There are various courses from various providers to choose from, and education level does not matter, as long as they can pass the exam.
A** Consult claimed that theirs is from a government agency.
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Give me your signature — just sign on a white paper and send it to me.
The journalist hesitantly sent a slightly modified version of her signature for safety.
Three days later, the journalist received a message, "Assalamualaikum, Alhamdulillah, tahniah," along with PDF copies of her company's approved PPK and SPKK certificates.
With these PKK and SPKK certifications, the journalist is now eligible to bid for government projects.
Checks on CIDB's Construction Industry Management System (CIMS) confirmed the journalist's company held both PPK and SPKK.
The system also listed a stranger, A*** A****, as the journalist's technical worker, complete with falsified EPF statements.
When asked, the consultant claimed it was only temporary until she received her technical certificate.
The journalist wanted to proceed in full and made her payment on 14 Nov 2024. The consultant promised the STB — a certificate allowing her to undertake Bumiputera reserve projects — as well as a technical certificate issued under her own name.
But the STB registration hit a snag.
Please don't take offence… Because your father's race is listed as Punjabi, the system interprets that as non-Bumiputera.
The journalist was advised to obtain a new birth certificate from the National Registration Department.
The process was delayed, but the consultant remained patient, repeatedly checking whether the journalist had obtained the new birth certificate, suggesting he was genuine and not a scammer.
It was eventually given to him on 16 December 2024.
Progress stalled until 2 Jan 2025, when she received a long broadcast message claiming that the staff member she dealt with had been arrested for drug possession, and that they needed time to sort things out.
After waiting for some time, the journalist checked again.
There's a small technical issue. Insyallah, it'll be settled tomorrow evening. CIDB and Bumiputera Participation Division (BPKU) are updating their system.
However, the CIDB system shows no new application, and to verify, the journalist spoke to several other consultants who confirmed this.
When asked, the consultant replied,"It's already with BPKU. They're (the other agents) not using the backdoor method," he said, attempting to justify why there were no records on CIMS indicating that an application for her STB had been submitted.
When asked how confident he was of getting approval, his reply was alarming:
Can get approval from the director. The director said can — but in return, he asked for a buffet iftar meal.
The Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development (KUSKOP), when asked to comment on the claims and issue, said it is checking on the matter and will issue a statement if there are any updates.
Tired of waiting, the journalist eventually engaged a new consultant on 23 June 2025, who charged RM1,150 for a new technical certification and RM300 to supposedly remove A**** A****'s name.
She was given a 21-page slide and access to an online questionnaire to prepare for the examination.
The journalist attended a one-day online fibre-optic course.
The exam was trivial; some participants even admitted to using AI apps to pass. The journalist aced it in 20 minutes.
When asked to proceed with the STB registration, the agent suddenly demanded RM750.
I reminded him that he had earlier said RM300 – after all, it was just a "system update".
He did not say much, but that moment made one thing clear: the prices were arbitrary, and these agents were exploiting players' lack of technical knowledge of the system.
The journalist received her STB on 14 Aug 2025, allowing her to bid for government projects allocated to Bumiputera.
It was supposed to take 10 days. Instead, it took 10 months — less about the process itself, and more about the demands of other reporting work. Yet, the experience uncovered a deeper truth.
A system intended to regulate entry into the industry has become dangerously permissive, where almost any certification can be leveraged to secure registration. This is further exacerbated by consultants who falsify documents and make quiet "adjustments" to meet requirements.
While one of the consultants engaged by the journalist was taken down through police action, many others continue to operate, offering pathways for unqualified individuals to enter the industry.
The result is a contractor licensing scheme reduced to a business of convenience, posing a serious threat to public safety by placing critical structures in unqualified hands.
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