Published on: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 |
Papar: Construction work at the General Operations Force (GOF) headquarters at Kinarut, here, will resume January next year, said Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Mohd Johari Baharum.
Mohd Johari said Masenang Sdn Bhd, previously a sub-contractor in the project standstill, had been appointed by the Government as the main contractor.
"Masenang was chosen to finish the project as it had been involved in the project from the beginning and they knew about the work well," he said to reporters at the project's site office, Monday.
According to Mohd Johari, the RM215 million project, which is now 38 per cent complete, will be completed in 18 months.
He said the project now requires RM120 million, which should be enough to see to its completion in early 2008.
"The amount could run off a bit because we don't know exactly what is at the site," he said, adding a total of RM78 million had been paid off to the original main contractor before its service was terminated.
The Deputy Minister said Masenang is now conducting inspections at the site, which will take about three months, before resuming construction work.
Making comparison to the proposed Kuching Prison, which was abandoned after the main contractor was found to have not followed specifications, Mohd Johari said the GOF complex project had a different problem.
"Here, we had a problem with the company that acted as the main contractor," he said, adding the project was supposed to be completed in June 2005 under the original plan.
The construction site was the scene of a standoff a few years ago when the original main contractor, Nautica Technologies Sdn Bhd, and its sub-contractor, Lankhorst Pascabumi Contractors Sdn Bhd (which had appointed Masenang as it sub-contractor), were involved in several disputes.
Last month, Nautica Technologies filed a summons at the High Court at Wisma Denmark in Kuala Lumpur to seek several declarations against the Internal Security Ministry and a bank over the project.
The 100-acre complex will house the GOF Brigade and 16th Battalion and accommodate 606 officers and staff.
Also present during the press conference was Sabah Acting Police Commissioner Datuk Mohd Bakri Zinin.
