By Karen Bong
KUCHING, Oct 23: Keep a close eye on the entire construction and progress of government projects including the Petra Jaya Hospital to avoid delays and failures, advised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
Project monitoring is crucial, he emphasised, to ensure that a project can be completed accordingly and on schedule, instead of having to appoint a rescue contractor while incurring more expenses.
“More importantly, the delay or failure to complete the project will not only undermine the government but also let the people down (as they have been) hoping for the facility.
“But worse still is that the cost will definitely increase which is currently faced by this (Petra Jaya) hospital. The loss is not worth it.
“If possible, I don’t want to see this happening until the need to engage a rescue contractor. So it is important to monitor the project closely until completion,” he told a press conference after inspecting the Petra Jaya Hospital project site today.
The Petra Jaya Hospital was expected to be completed and fully operational in 2024 as the rescue contractor had earlier this year started works on the uncompleted portion after it was abandoned for some time.
The hospital was once categorised as a “sick project” after it continuously fell behind schedule and met with serious setbacks including the termination of previous contractor in 2018.
The RM600 million hospital was supposed to be completed in November 2016. As of June 2018, work progress was only at 35.4 per cent.
The previous contractor had appealed for an extension of time for completion to December 2018, but due to the gross delay and unsatisfactory works, its contract was terminated. The project was subsequently re-tendered in 2019.
Ismail Sabri is on a working visit to Sarawak today, his first visit after being appointed as the Prime Minister on Aug 21.
Upon arrival, he attended a briefing on Sarawak’s development by the Sarawak Economic Planning Unit held at a hotel here.
He was accompanied by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Federal Work Minister Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof and Minister of Local Government and Housing Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian. — DayakDaily
