By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, Nov 14: The appointment of ‘rescue contractors’ is the best approach to complete ‘sick’ infrastructure projects, said Senior Minister of Works Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
Rescue contractors are identified companies who will take over projects that have been abandoned or of which the contracts have been terminated.
Fadillah informed that there are about 15 sick projects in Sabah and Sarawak of which one of them is the Petra Jaya Hospital.
“However, these 15 projects are among the 1,000 sick projects nationwide which means it is less than five per cent.
“Overall, I am satisfied with the implementation of projects despite having sick projects because we have established a rescue contractor system to address the matter.
“In the case of Petra Jaya Hospital, the project has been handed over to a rescue contractor and it is currently under construction,” he told reporters at a press conference after an engagement session with the state media at Waterfront Hotel today.
Fadillah, who is Petra Jaya MP, said companies have to go through at least three screenings before they are registered as rescue contractors.
They will be assessed in terms of financial capability, experience, technical and company’s assets in terms of equipment and human capital.
“These rescue contractors have good track records and are able to restore the sick projects faster. If the projects are cancelled, it will be time consuming as we have to re-tender, re-design and so on.
“Because of that, the best approach is by using rescue contractors. We do not have to screen companies, only tender the project among the rescue contractors,” he elaborated. — DayakDaily
