ONLY 3.62 PCT OF JKR PROJECTS CATEGORISED AS SICK PROJECTS - AHMAD MASLAN

KOTA KINABALU, March 17 (Bernama) -- Only 29 out of 801 projects, or 3.62 per cent, under the supervision of the Public Works Department (JKR) are categorised as sick projects, said Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.

He said that out of the total number of troubled projects, 22 projects or 75.86 per cent were due to contractor issues, while one project involved a change in scope and six projects involved various issues.

He said that out of the projects with contractor issues, 11 projects faced weaknesses in internal management, poor scheduling and planning (seven), financial problems (three), and one project faced delays from the Industrialised Building System (IBS) supplier.

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"For Sabah, only two projects are categorised as sick projects out of the 29 sick projects nationwide," he said during a visit to the construction site of the Armed Forces Family Housing (RKAT) in Kem Lok Kawi here today.

"But we see that more than 96 per cent of projects under the JKR are healthy projects. This is something positive," he said during a visit to the construction site of the Armed Forces Family Housing (RKAT) at Kem Lok Kawi here today.

Meanwhile, Ahmad Maslan said the RKAT project at Kem Lok Kawi will also be completed this year, and the contractor will take proactive steps to expedite the construction, including increasing the number of local workers and working in shifts during the night and early morning.

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"There is a slight delay... I asked the contractor to make improvements so that the project can follow the set timeline, which is scheduled to be completed in August. The contractor is working hard to finish it this year, but there might be a slight delay.

"Additional work (steps) to expedite this project will be carried out two days after Hari Raya. They (the contractors) are trying to complete it this year; when we gave them August, they asked for maybe two or three months, at the latest November or December, but we are confident in their planning," he said.

He also said the project involves the construction of 513 residential units encompassing various classes, including other basic facilities such as garbage houses, pump houses, water tanks, as well as mechanical and electrical works to meet the needs of military personnel and their families.

Meanwhile, the Works Ministry in a statement said that the RM188 million project commenced on March 8, 2022, and has reached a project progress status of 45 per cent as of last Saturday (March 15).

"The delay was caused by the shortage of construction materials such as piles and cement in Sabah during the initial phase of the project. The contractor has submitted a mitigation plan to expedite construction and address the delays," he added.

According to the statement, the IBS applied in the project on a site covering 257.78 hectares also helps shorten the construction period and reduce reliance on manual labour, especially foreign workers.

-- BERNAMA