Malaysians today feel angry and outraged when they read that the Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu is asking for RM22 million to inspect new government buildings in Putrajaya for defects, on top of an unending list of government building mishaps.
The spanking new RM290 million court complex in Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur has undoubtedly earned instant international notoriety with the daily defects since its opening last week.
Yesterday, the court complex was shut down by a power failure. This morning I receive complaints from a lawyer of leaks in the criminal courts. This is on top of the ceiling collapse, cracks on the wall, faulty toilets and air-conditioning breakdowns.
Had a certificate for fitness for occupation (CF) been issued for the largest court complex in the world, and if so when. If no CF was issued, why was the court complex allowed to be used; and if there was CF, whether actions would be taken against those who had been so negligent as to issue the CF when there are still so many defects, including structural ones, which had to be rectified?
But what has shocked and befuddled Malaysians is the RM22 million claim by Samy Vellu to inspect brand new buildings in Putrajaya for defects. How much would Samy need to inspect buildings outside Putrajaya, for instance the RM290 million court complex or the RM1.9 billion SMART Tunnel, for defects? What has happened to the trouble-prone MATRADE Building? Will it be again in tens or hundreds of millions of ringgit?
Malaysians feel that they are treated as “suckers” and fools, where even when mistakes are made whether because of negligence, irresponsibility, corruption or abuses of power, it is finally the taxpayers who have to pay the new bill while the culture of impunity holds sway for those responsible for defects in government buildings and public construction projects.
This is clearly unacceptable. Malaysians want to know who is responsible for the additional RM22 million public expenditure needed to inspect the new government buildings in Putrajaya for defects and why those responsible for the defects should not be made to pay for 100% of the unnecessary outlay
#1 by HJ Angus on Friday, 11 May 2007 - 10:06 pm
I’m not defending SV but I think some of the defects are not really his responsibility.
Under the “piratisation” of many construction jobs, the Works Ministry do not decide which contractor to appoint and many jobs are decided by the individual ministries. After completion, the maintenance contractor may also be appointed by a third party.
Only when things go badly, the Works Ministry has to shoulder the blame but that does not seem right and so the minister will not be sacked.
I think the Works Ministry should be given the full responsibility to select 2 or 3 suitable contractors to let the individual ministry make the final choice and this shd also apply to maintenance contracts.
If anything then goes seriously wrong we can properly demand for his dismissal.
That way we won’t have the whole Cabinet looking like a bunch of idiots.
#2 by 9to5 on Friday, 11 May 2007 - 10:29 pm
People should not blame Sammy – he is merely the keeper for UMNO! All the contracts were given to UMNO’s cronies although Sammy may have some benefits too. If anyone is to be blamed it’s the real movers behind Sammy.
Why do you think UMNO and UMNO youth are keeping so quiet inspite of blunders after blunders committed. Badawi is not a stupid person! He would have fired Sammy a long time ago if not for his value as proxy for UMNO and deflection of blame from the real movers! They are the masters in wayang-kulit!
#3 by 9to5 on Friday, 11 May 2007 - 11:25 pm
…….A nation of sheeps deserves a government of wolves!
#4 by caspergoh on Saturday, 12 May 2007 - 9:34 am
As one of the tax payer, I strongly reject the payment of 22 million to inspect the govt buildings. Why tax payers need to fork out the money for this inspection? What happened to the contracts term and condition between govt and contractor? Isn’t it supposed to pay by contractor? We have been paying so much money to build high class and high-tech govt buidlings, most of the major projects either delay for many years or need to rectify. If that is the case, govt should ask those contractors who fail to comply and incompetence to pay off all the rectifcation costs and black list them from taking any govt contracts. GOVT SHOULD STOP WASTING OUR TAX MONEY…..THAT MONEY CAN BE SPEND IN OTHER BETTER WAYS…..
#5 by student2007 on Sunday, 13 May 2007 - 2:55 pm
as i know for the malaysia JKR safety factors used for the construction or design is most probably 2 (common safety is 1.6) since the safety factor is much higher why the building is still mishap. jus a big question mark !!!!
for the others, is why should malaysia government need to use RM 22 million to inspect the building?? is tat the job suppose done by the ministry??? n if not mistaken the repair cost for the mishaps, shouldn’t it bear by the contractor who successfully bid the project? even the landed property there are 18 months of warranty… why so malaysia government bear the repair cost??
this all started to make no sense…can somebody tell me if i miss something..
#6 by accountability on Wednesday, 16 May 2007 - 11:40 pm
we should FINE the culprits who built ridiculously bad quality buildings as well as those who neglected the maintenance!
why spend more of the rakyat’s hard-earned money to inspect a building that is already known to be in an obviously dilapidated state?!
shame on you Semi-Value!!
#7 by budu on Wednesday, 23 May 2007 - 6:32 pm
sv “SUCKERS…two for me, one for friend, two for me, one for another friend. Ayo yo I can retire o”