Chong wants open tender for Coastal Road, Second Trunk Road projects
Chong Chieng Jen
He said the Coastal Road Project is estimated to cost RM5 billion and the Second Trunk Road Project RM6 billion, adding that both projects will be funded by the state government.
“For the Coastal Road Project, it is from Sebuyau to Betong, covering a distance of 92 km, including a few bridges. For a project of 92km of road building or expansion, even with the construction of a number of bridges, RM5 billion is still extremely expensive. It is approximately RM52 million per km,” Chong exclaimed.
“It is shocking that for projects of such magnitude, the Sarawak state government did not call for open tender and is now in the process of awarding them to two different companies,” said the Stampin MP, who is also DAP Sarawak chairman.
He thus called upon Minister of Infrastructure Development and Transportation Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing to be accountable and explain to Sarawakians why no open tender was called for the two huge projects.
“James Masing should learn the lesson from the dire state of financial affairs of the federal government. It is such rampant practice of direct award of mega projects which has resulted in the draining of our federal coffer that we are now in debt of more than RM1 trillion,” Chong stressed.
“Our state’s reserve fund is only RM30 billion. The Chief Minister is now contemplating the construction of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) train with an estimated cost of RM11 billion. James Masing is now embarking on these two projects with an estimated cost of RM10 billion,” he said.
“At the rate this is going, very soon, within five years, our state’s reserves will be totally depleted,” he claimed.
Chong said DAP Sarawak is now calling on Masing, firstly, to stop the award of the said two projects to the two intended contractors of his (Masing) choice.
Secondly, he wants the contract broken into smaller packages so that more contractors can be involved and thirdly, to call for open tender for all the packages so that the people get value for the money spent on the said projects.
My comments:
The once UMNO-BN manipulated PBB-led government with its minor parties like Parti Rakyat Sarawak/PRS, Sarawak United People's Party/SUPP and Progressive Democratic Party/PDP has been in power and monopoly for too long. These political thugs have forgotten their roles but to serve people to be people-centred and people's interests to be their No. 1 concern instead of the leaders-centred and interests.
For 3 decades + 3 years, Taib Mahmud and his cronies plundered, raided and exploited Sarawakians at will. I haven't counted the pieces of land in hectares owned solely by his 4 children and other pieces of land owned by his relatives, friends and cronies. This man is too smart to be caught red-handed like Najib and his wife. In the age of internet, he still cannot escape from the scrutiny from others from the whole-wide world. We need the help of whole world to catch him for his abuses of power and embezzlement. The internet should have the report of the mega ill-gotten wealth he has amassed.
Abang Johari, the current Chief Minister of Sarawak, I believe, is a puppet to him. Taib Mahmud still wields the real power. Many people also say so. It is not without base. The change of federal government from BN to PH, he went with Abang Johari and .. to see Dr. M the new PM, the next day with an ulterior motive obvious to all.
Majority of people just feel disgusted over the practices of monopoly and all kinds of abuses. It is disgusting to see James Masing going to award the said two mega projects costing about RM10-11billion just to two companies instead of 10 over companies in the open tender. We know that they still practise the ex-UMNO-BN habits to award the projects to an interested group and then sub-contract, sub-contract, sub-contract ....out. The ones in the process plunder and plunder and plunder and plunder.... just with a pen to endorse the documents.
Hence, on behalf of all the concerned Sarawakians, i hope James Masing, will reconsider his intention to award the said two mega projects to two companies instead of 10 over companies in open tender.
Yes, people are waiting eagerly for a change of government for good. I strongly believe that people are set for a change for the better tomorrow of Sarawak whether you like it or not. Time is up for them. People are ready to vote them out. Just wait and see.
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