By Ling Hui
KUCHING, Aug 19: Bintulu MP Dato Sri Tiong King Sing has called out Sarawak Energy Berhad (Sarawak Energy) and several other departments for delaying the implementation of flood mitigation projects in Sarawak.
He said it was found in a special meeting to review the progress and shortcomings of flood mitigation projects that several departments and agencies have been dragging their feet regarding project execution with different excuses.
“We learned in today’s meeting that several flood mitigation projects involve Sarawak Energy, but the agency has been citing slow or non-payment of the relocation fee as a reason for the project’s delay. Even if the payment was received, the relocation was still not completed every year.
“The relevant departments should hasten the relocation by issuing payment guarantees to avoid further delays. In any case, during the meeting, I demanded that Sarawak Energy complete all relocation works by Sept 15 at the latest or bear all consequences at their own risk.
“We are completely dissatisfied with the negligent attitude displayed by Sarawak Energy, including their Kuching headquarters officers. They had not even bothered to send senior staff with decision-making powers to join the meeting,” said Tiong in a social media post today.
In terms of funding, he stressed that there must be active communication between the departments and agencies involved.
Tiong, who is also Dudong assemblyman, called on the State Finance Office to optimise the fund disbursement process and policies of relevant funds to avoid any project schedule delays,
“We must take preventive measures by taking into account the unpredictable climate in recent years. With the year-end monsoon season imminent, all departments involved must start taking this period seriously.
“Communicate and ensure that the relevant funds are in place to avoid repeated delays in vital projects. Let’s make advanced deployment and refine preparations with efficiency and a professional attitude,” he added. — DayakDaily
