PKR: Something is 'seriously wrong'

Sabah’s RM1b road maintenance deal raises dust

KOTA KINABALU: Despite spending hundreds of millions of ringgit annually on road maintenances, Sabah has not ‘one single decent road’.  Knowing this, why has the government renewed the contracts of four contractors who performed ‘poorly’ in the past?

Posing this question, former Sabah minister Kong Hong Ming said there was no justification for the extension of the maintenance contracts.

“I understand the government has approved the extension of these monopolized contracts for another term.

“They have renewed their contracts for another 10 to 15 years starting this year even before the expiry of their existing ones.

“The total contract value will constitute RM800 million to RM1 billion a year of public spending in the future,” said Kong, who is now PKR Tawau division chief.

Kong stressed that the government must justify to the public such a heavy financial commitment into the future, especially knowing that the contractors had under-performed and were ineffective in maintaining public roads.

“Judging from the series of recurring complaints highlighted in the media by community leaders, opposition parties and even Barisan Nasional party members on the deplorable conditions of public roads throughout the state, it is obvious that something has gone seriously wrong with the performance of these monopolized road maintenance contracts awarded by BN government,” said Kong, who is a civil engineer turned lawyer.

He criticised the decision to commit the state to an RM1 billion a year expense to only four contractors as an unjustified debacle.

“Based on the existing contracts and huge spending per year, the people of Sabah should be enjoying reasonably good or at least well-maintained roads throughout the state.

“But there are obviously some discrepancies and irregularities between the big spending and actual work done on the ground.

“Despite frequent complaints, there is no obvious improvement on the poor road condition and network in the state.

“In Sabah, we have reached such a sorry state of affairs that even new roads are unfit, unsafe and unserviceable,” he said.

Unhealthy practice

Calling for transparency, Kong urged the government to appoint an independent body to audit, examine and review the performance and weaknesses exposed in the road maintenance contracts.

“Perhaps, there is no political will in this present administration to stop the unhealthy monopoly practice that is depleting the state resources to the maximum instead of optimizing public spending to benefit the public and local contractors in terms of job opportunity and employment,” he said.

He said the practice of issuing road maintenance contracts for public roads under the state and federal jurisdiction only began in 2002.

Prior to that, road maintenance was by the relevant departments or local contractors by way of competitive quotations and open tenders supervised by Public Works Department and local authorities.

“Each of these long term contract runs into hundred of million per year for 10 to 15 years,” he pointed out.

It is understood that at least one of the road contractors is closely-linked to Chief Minister Musa Aman and is also involved in other business dealings associetd to him.

by Queville To

Jalanraya di Tenom dianaktirikan, mana NKRA?

Kelihatan jalanraya semak samun tidak diselenggara

Oleh: NASUTION NAEJEL

BUKAN menjadi perkara rahsia lagi tetapi sudah secara terang terangan apabila Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan Kampong (JKKK) Kg Ulu Ulloi Tenom Akop Kamit 50, terkilan dengan tindakan pihak kerajaan yang seolah olah menganak tirikan rakyat dengan tidak mengendahkan segala aduannya demi hak rakyat untuk mendapatkan sebuah jalanraya yang baik.

Malahan Pengerusi JKKK itu dengan tegas menyampaikan ejekan rakyat yang memprtikaikan slogan “Rakyat DiDahulukan, pencapaian diutamakan” yang sering ditujukan kepadanya dimana beliau secara berterus terang telah tertekan dengan ejekan itu gara gara kelemahan pihak pelaksana.

Tegasnya, meskipun beberapa laporan telah pun dihantar kepada JKR sebelum ini namun beliau kesal kerana sehingga sekarang tidak ada tindakan dilakukannya terhadap sebatang jalanraya pintas kira kira 2km yang menghubungkan Kg Ulu Ulloi dengan Taman Bahagia berdekatan Pekan di Tenom.

“ Tidak mungkin mereka (JKR) tidak tahu lokasi ini sedangkan  Jurutera mereka sudah pun memeriksa jalanraya tersebut bersama Jurutera Kekal Mewah,” kata beliau dalam satu kenyataan disini ketika memberitahu Harian Ekspress pada Sabtu sebagai mengulas rungutan para penduduk dikawasan terbabit.

Sebahagian dinaik taraf kira kira 200 meter dari simpang

Tahun lepas (2010), jalanraya tersebut telah disahkan oleh pihak kontraktor Kekal Mewah disini bahawa sebarang kerja kerja penyelenggaraan setakat ini bukan dalam bidangkuasa mereka kerana ianya belum tersenarai sebagai tanggung jawab Kekal Mewah Sdn Bhd.

“ Tetapi pada ketika itu Kekal Mewah bersetuju untuk membantu kami mendaftarkan jalanraya itu dalam senarai mereka, manakala penyelenggaran dilakukan JKR buat sementara waktu sehingga ianya terdaftar…tetapi janji itu semuanya kosong,” tambah Akop.

Dalam pada itu, kenyataan Akop Kamit tercetus ekoran terdapatnya beberapa rungutan daripada para pengguna jalanraya khususnya mereka yang mempunyai kebun disitu yang tidak berpuas hati dengan layanan agensi kerajaan terutamanya yang bertanggung jawab dari segi kemudahan infratruktur tidak berjalan dengan lancar dan licin.

AKOP KAMIT – Pengerusi JKKK Ulu Ulloi

Mereka juga mempertikaikan keberkesanan NKRA yang bertanggung jawab menaiktaraf kemudahan infratruktur dikawasan Pedalaman Sabah dan Sarawak dalam Bajet 2009 dibawah seliaan KKLW, sebaliknya tidak kelihatan pun ianya dilaksanakan.

Jalanraya pintas yang menghubungkan antara perkampungan Ulu Ulloi ke Taman Bahagia sejauh kira kira 2km dibina sejak lebih 20 tahun  lalu aitu semasa era kerajaan Parti Berjaya khusus untuk memudahkan penduduk keluar dan masuk ke kebun mereka yang terletak disitu dengan lancar.

Bagaimana pun sekitar tahun 2000 jalanraya tersebut mendapat agehan peruntukkan untuk dinaiktaraf tetapi apa yang berlaku kerja kerja tersebut dilaksanakan hanya sekadar kira kira 200m sahaja yang bersimen, manakala selebihnya dibiarkan begitu sahaja sehingga ke hari ini.