PAC members in Murum to verify AG’s report on issues

BINTULU: Members of the State Public Accounts Committee ( PAC) including the ex- officio members led by their chairman Aidel Lariwoo went to Murum Dam for a day visit yesterday.

The visit came about following the Auditor- General’s report on some issues brought up during a public hearing conducted in April.

Aidel, who is also Sadong Jaya assemblyman, when met by reporters at Bintulu Airport before departing to Murum yesterday, said this was their first visit to Murum as part of their audit process.

“Today, we are going to the site to verify and to examine whether what they have reported to us during the public hearing are correct.

The PAC members participating in the visit are Telian assemblyman Yussibnosh Balo, Chiew Chiu Sing (Tanjung Batu),

Today, we are going to the site to verify and to examine whether what they have reported to us during the public hearing are correct. Aidel Lariwoo, State Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman

See Chee How ( Batu Lintang), Mohd Chee Kadir ( Kabong) and Ranum Mina (Opar).

“On the Murum Dam, issues that we found in the audit report concern cost escalation, resettlement of people affected by the project and ex- gratia payment,” he said.

The cost escalation issue, he added, derived from the unexpected provisional quantity at the very beginning of the project.

“There are some increases due to uncertainty in terms of assessing the provisional quantity set up earlier in the contract, particularly on rock excavation.”

Aidel said since the cost escalation was huge (an increase of 21.6 per cent), the PAC must relook the project thoroughly.

“The ex- gratia payment to the affected parties, meanwhile, was not paid in accordance with the rate approved by the government,” he added.

Asked if their finding would be tabled in the next State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting, he said it would depend on the committee later on.

The Murum HEP project costs RM2.98 billion to build or RM530 million more that the original price, according to the AuditorGeneral’s report.

The dam has a reservoir with a surface area of 245 sq km and a catchment area of 2,750 sq km.

The dam site is located along Murum River in Belaga District, about 200km from Bintulu and 70km upstream of Bakun HEP Dam.