BINTULU: The Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development (MIPD) is taking steps and strategies to put the brakes on sick projects in the state.
It’s Minister and Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said MIPD and the state Public Work Department (JKR) planned to do a seminar and come up with recommendations for this purpose.
“We need to come up with a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and programmes to ensure zero sick project in the years ahead. The SOP will allow us to act immediately and timely on potential problematic projects.
“When we can deliver as scheduled it will give a new and positive image of the Ministry and the department,” he said after listening to a briefing on the implementation of development projects including the problems for the division at the JKR office here yesterday.
JKR Northern Region Manager Teo Nguong Leong conducted the briefing.
Uggah also reminded the officers of the ministry and department that the GPS government had very high expectations on the delivery of these projects.
“We have many projects to be implemented and the purpose is to serve the rakyat. The government’s expectation is for us to deliver and deliver as scheduled.
“The people will naturally be frustrated and angry when these projects are delayed,” he said.
Uggah said the state economic growth too depended on MIPD and the state JKR ability to spend
the money allocated to the state Infrastructure projects. “We must be able to spend the fund allocated as intended”.
The Deputy Premier meanwhile said in monitoring the implementation and progress of any project, it was important tjat the department teams of engineers, technical workers and the consultants had a workplan to ensure a contractor working on a project could complete it according to plan.
He said the workplan would detail the work schedule, manpower and machinery required and the progress.
On the new image for the JKR, he said it had many capable engineers and the technologies to achieve this.
“Let us harness our resources, experience and expertise. Let us be open to any latest technologies and not forgetting considering feedbacks from the ground and the needs to communicate frequently.
“We can raise to new heights in our task and achievements and most importantly record zero sick projects,” he said.
Also present were Uggah’s deputy Datuk Majang Renggi, MIPD Permanent Secretary Chiew Chew Yaw, Bintulu Resident Datuk Jack Aman and JKR Head of Project Meehan Jorai.
Among others, they visited the sites of the RM 89.7 million proposed bridge over Batang Kemena and the RM117.9 million new Bintulu Division administrative centre in Jepak.
