Report on Sabah water project tabled

KUALA LUMPUR: The Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) tabled a report on the Sabah Rural Water Supply Programme (BALB) under the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKLW) and Sabah State Water Department (JANS).

Hasan said KKLW secretarygeneral Datuk Mohd Arif Ab Rahman and JANS deputy director Teo Chee Kong, representing JANS, were called on Sept 7, last year following the findings of the National Audit Department contained in the 2015 Audit Report, Series 1, tabled in Parliament on May 18, last year.

He said at the meeting, PAC members raised questions about the reticulation system for the BALB project in Pulau Gaya, besides visiting Pulau Gaya on Jan 15 to see the project site itself.

The PAC has also sought clarification from the secretarygeneral of the Defence Ministry on March 15 on several weaknesses in the construction management of the Air Force College in Kepala Batas, Kedah.

Its chairman, Datuk Seri Hasan Ariffin in a PAC report tabled in Parliament yesterday said the meeting was a follow-up on the findings of the National Audit Department in the presentation of the 2014 Auditor-General's Report Series 1, tabled in Parliament on April 6, 2015.

Hasan said that during the meeting, the PAC members had raised issues, including the overall value of the project and increased rate for the payment of consulting fees that had not been finalised as the overall value of the project had not been coordinated, and the completion of the contract document was delayed for 16 months after taking into account the four months allowed.

The other issues raised were part of the construction work was poor, the building was not fully occupied although it had been completed, and unsatisfactory floor finish and incomplete electrical and mechanical work.