COMPANIES DON'T EVEN POSSES A ‘CHANGKUL’!

THE Kota Kinabalu member of Parliament Dr. Hiew King Cheu asked the Home Affairs Minister Hishamuddin Hussien in Parliament on the 9th of November in Parliament on the issue on why the Lahad Datu District Police Head quarter building work had stopped for such a long time and what is the total cost of the project and when this will be completed.

The minister answered that the construction of the Lahad Datu police HQ is being built under Syarikat Pembinaan BLT Sdn. Bhd. and this is a subsidiary company under the Ministry of Finance.

The project started on the 17th January 2007 with a cost of RM97.4 million and it is expected to be completed on the 10th of March 2009. Very unfortunate the contractor has failed to execute the construction work and he had only completed 50% of the work. The contract has been terminate on the 3rd of May 2010.

In order to revive and to restart the project work, PBLT is at the moment taking action to retender the work again. At the moment, the ministry cannot estimate the final cost of the project to completion because the consultants have to prepare the necessary documents in connection to the estimation of cost and revalue the project cost to completion. PBLT is expected to tender out the job during early January 2011.

Dr. Hiew said this is another BN project that is typical in reflecting the bad performance of the BN government. The project of this size and why it is carried out in such manner and under a company which cannot handle with efficiency and capability. This is not acceptable and much tax-payers' money is already being wasted.

The question is that since it is under the PBLT, then the Ministry of Finance is at fault too. Is there any penalty or fine imposed for none performance? How can a project of this mega size be handled in such poor manner? We should seek to the bottom on many other reasons to the very end and punish those who are in the wrong. This may be one of the many cases happening in Malaysia and especially in Sabah.

The contractor must be pre-qualified for suitability and capability to undertake such size of project, and not simply awarded the project due to the ‘connection’ or even conies companies. It is known that some contractor companies don't even posses a ‘changkul’, how can they handle multi millions construction projects. Some even carrying out two or three projects at one time. Are they the ‘Ali Ba Ba’ contractor only out to ripe harvest on commission? This is truly a corrupt practice and abuse of power on the part of the government.

We need transparency with the true and clean tender process being practiced. We cannot afford to have any more corrupt practice and abuse of power happening any more.