Ong Kian Ming said Fahmi, as an opposition MP in 2022, had called for a corruption investigation into the 5G network partnership between DNB and Ericsson, following a report that the Swedish telco allegedly breached pacts and had compliance issues.

“Did Fahmi follow up on this after he became the communications and digital minister in December 2022? If so, were any improprieties discovered and if yes, what actions were taken?

“What steps did Fahmi take to clean up the ‘horrifying and concerning’ things that he found at DNB when he first became minister?

“In the interest of transparency, is he able to reveal what remedial steps were taken?” the former Bangi MP said in a series of posts on X.

Ong was referring to Fahmi’s “horrifying and concerning” discovery that no one had a clear understanding of DNB’s activities when he became the communications and digital minister.

He told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday that both his ministry and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) were completely unaware of DNB’s operations when he first took on the portfolio.

He said even the then Treasury deputy secretary-general had no insight into the activities of DNB though it was a Minister of Finance (Incorporated) company.

However, Ong said Fahmi’s statements failed to provide substantive answers and only raised more questions about Malaysia’s 5G ecosystem amid scrutiny over the award of the second 5G network rollout to U Mobile Sdn Bhd.

The former deputy international trade and investment minister asked Fahmi to explain how DNB and Ericsson’s rollout of the first 5G network had won several global awards, such as the Ookla Award and Futurenet Asia 2024 Award.

The DAP man also asked Fahmi to explain how DNB managed to achieve 80% coverage of populated areas before its given deadline despite not having a CEO from March 2023 to October this year.

“Could the minister also explain if the RM16.5 billion reported expenditure for the 5G network was properly spent, as questioned by Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim during the committee stage of the budget debate?

“If there were improprieties in this expenditure by DNB, was any action taken?”

On Dec 3, 2022, Fahmi was appointed communications and digital minister when DNB was moved from the Prime Minister’s Department to his ministry.

A Cabinet reshuffle last December saw the ministry being split, with Fahmi reassigned to the communications ministry and Gobind Singh Deo taking on the digital ministry.

DNB officially came under the digital ministry on Jan 10 this year.