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Mosti deny accusations that R&D grant of RM1.152 billion was abused – Bernama

The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) today denied allegations of abusing grants amounting to RM1.152 billion that was allocated for research and development (R&D).

Its deputy minister Datuk Dr Abu Bakar Mohamad Diah said the allocation for the R&D was given to researchers or applicants using a tight procedure.

He said the applications were approved by an evaluation committee comprising experts and professionals.

Researchers and applicants for the fund must also follow procedures such as submitting complete proposal papers and tabling them before the evaluation committee, he said.

"Mosti is not at all involved in the committee that approves a sum of money to researchers or applicants.

"It (amount of allocation) depends on the working paper tabled and the result of evaluation by the panel," Abu Bakar told reporters after closing the Malaysian Institute of Historical and Patriotic Studies Patriotic Rakan Muda Camp in Alor Gajah today.

He was commenting on a statement by Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) strategic director Rafizi Ramli, which was reported by several electronic media and in his blog on April 15, claiming that Mosti's R&D grants were abused.

Rafizi also claimed the expenditure of RM1.152 billion from 2009 to 2013 did not commensurate with the results of R&D being commercialised at 20 products per year.

Commenting further, Abu Bakar said not all Mosti R&D grant allocations were aimed at commercialising the results of studies.

He said, although the number of products commercialised each year was quite small at 20, it was a good achievement because 100 products were commercialised in five years. – Bernama, April 20, 2014.