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Media Statement

by Lim Guan Eng

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(Petaling Jaya, Wednesday): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should just do it and sack Works Minister Datuk S. Samy Vellu as Works Minister and reassign him to another ministry as a warning to civil servants of the consequences of non-performance, mismanagement and trying to blame others for one’s own failings. Abdullah was upset at the quarrel between Parliament on the one hand and the Public Works Department under the Works Ministry on the other, disputing who was responsible over the maintenance of Parliament building which has a leaking roof and faulty wiring.

Clearly identifying Works Ministry as responsible, Abdullah said that he had told Samy to just do it and not wait to be told in executing their duties and taking action when needed. This is clearly a huge blow proving the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of Samy, who has been trying to avoid blame for the shameful leakage in our 44-year old Parliament building. Before Parliament was renovated for RM 99 million, there were no leaks. Upon completion it has leaked twice and suffered from cracks and water seepage on the concrete roof, clogged gutters, defective waterproofing and sewerage pipe leaks at VIP and other toilets.

Clearly Samy has failed in his basic duty to oversee all works relating to the maintenance of public buildings. Abdullah is correct to say that it is shameful that government departments have to quarrel over their respective responsibilities. With Samy’s failure and stubborn refusal to admit he was wrong, he can no longer operate as an effective Works Minister.

The only solution to stop the shameful failure of non-performance is to sack Samy and reassign him to another Ministry. Samy can not be sacked completely as a Minister as the MIC President regardless of his poor performance must be made a Minister under BN’s consultative mechanism.

A new Minister with a fresh perspective, open to criticism and new management thinking is required to solve the serious problems of decay in maintenance culture. The new person must not have a denial syndrome and blame the whole world including God for any failure in construction works whether highway collapse or building defects.

Malaysians have lost billions of ringgit because of shoddy work, negligence, mismanagement and even corruption. We can not afford such shameful losses anymore. This can be seen on April 30, when two parts of a ceiling panel collapsed and there were deep cracks on the walls the new RM 270 million Jalan Duta Court Complex, the second largest complex in the world.

Incompetent and shoddy contractors of government projects that caused the government to bail out 7 ailing privatised projects for RM 11 billion last year

Incompetent and shoddy contractors of government project that abandon or delay government projects also have a reason to feel good, especially those who had 7 ailing privatized projects bailed out by the government last year for RM 11 billion.  

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator Datuk Abdul Rahman Suliman told the Dewan Rakyat in December last year that the government spent more than RM11.022 billion to rescue seven ailing privatised ventures over the past five years as follows:-

• the Putra transport system, which cost RM4.486 billion;

• the STAR-LRT bailout costing RM3.256 billion;

• MAS bailout costing RM2.802 billion respectively;

• the takeover of the National Sewerage System costing RM192.54 million;

• the Seremban-Port Dickson Highway costing RM142 million;

• the Kuching Prison costing RM135 million; and

• the Unit Kajian Makanan dan Gunaan Orang Islam costing RM8.3 million.

The original cost of these sick 7 privatised projects amounts to RM 15.864 million. In other words spending an extra RM 11,022 million represents an extra 70% of the original cost, far above the variance of 5-10% for construction projects. 

Others projects are the RM120 million Middle Ring Road 2, where an additional RM70 million had to be paid for repair work; the RM167 million Matrade building which was eventually completed at a cost of RM287 million; and the RM198 million Navy Recruit Training Centre (Pularek) which had 7,032 defects and needed an additional RM13 million.   

Only a new Minister can send a strong message that Abdullah will no longer tolerate incompetence, inefficiency, mismanagement, negligence or corruption in his administration. This will also remind civil servants that they have to deliver after the 7.5 to 35% pay rise or else action will be taken including being sacked. If even Ministers can be sacked, then civil servants will also face the same fate if they do not improve, give good service, perform and deliver.