RM350,000 water project completed for only RM5,000

The DAP Sarawak is demanding that Infrastructure Development and Communications Minister Michael Manyin explain the discrepancy in the figures.

KUCHING: There are red faces at the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Communications after a water project in Dalat, estimated by the Public Works Department (PWD) to cost RM350,000, was completed by a local businessman for RM5,000.

The Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak is demanding that Infrastructure Development and Communications Minister Michael Manyin explain the discrepancy in the figures.

The party has an unlikely ally in Women and Family Development Minister Fatimah Abdullah who represents Dalat.

“There could be many other projects where their estimated costs are unrealistic and unjustifiable,” said DAP Sarawak organising secretary Violet Yong in a statement.

She was commenting on Fatimah complaining that the PWD had misled her on the cost of laying pipes to eight houses in Kampung Medong Hilir which is about 1.6km from the main pipes.

“It is obvious that there’s a lack of transparency as well as leakages involving millions of ringgit as reported in the Auditor-General’s Report,” said Yong. “Eight families were deprived of water for years because of the inefficiency of the PWD.”

“The Sarawak government should emulate the ‘Impian Sarawak’ projects carried out by DAP where there’s cost-efficiency.”

Fatimah recently conceded that Sarawak has now overtaken Sabah as the poorest state in Malaysia.