Kuala Lumpur: A Sarawak MP has called for a special task force to hasten the implementation of 36 delayed water projects in rural Sabah and Sarawak.
Edwin Banta (GPS-Selangau) said the task force should comprise representatives from the relevant ministries, the rural water supply departments of Sabah and Sarawak, as well as industry experts.
He said that the states’ rural water supply departments had only been involved in terms of project monitoring, while the pre-contract process was entirely handled by the rural and regional development ministry.
“This division in power, although well-intentioned, has led to delays and inefficiencies,” he told the Dewan Rakyat while debating the national audit department’s report.
The auditor-general’s report released on July 4 revealed that the 36 projects were delayed for up to seven years despite receiving approval between 2016 and 2018.
The report also said that the projects were worth a total of RM1.6 billion, with 12 projects in Sarawak (RM888.32 million) and 24 in Sabah (RM758.85 million).
The ministry’s reasons for the delays included the need for more time to appoint consultants, prepare and approve the design of the projects; protests from the locals; changes in government procurement policies; changes in work scope; the performance of contractors; and the Covid-19 lockdowns.
Edwin said clear targets and strict timelines should be established for the projects’ completion.
“Bureaucratic red tape must be drastically reduced and procedures simplified,” he added.
He also called for a comprehensive audit of all procedures related to the water projects with the goal of identifying and eliminating unnecessary steps, streamlining overlapping processes, and introducing technology to accelerate implementation.
Edwin likewise said that the allocation for the water projects should be channelled directly to the states’ rural water supply departments as the implementing entities.
“This is not only to expedite project implementation but also to recognise the local expertise and knowledge possessed by the Sabah and Sarawak governments.
“Periodic oversight mechanisms involving both federal and state governments must be established, too,” said Edwin.
On Saturday, the Borneo Post quoted deputy prime minister Fadillah Yusof as saying that he would thoroughly review all delayed water projects in both states as they fell under both the rural and regional development ministry as well as his ministry, the energy transition and water transportation ministry.
