Fed Gov to oversee state projects above RM50m

2009/07/21

All State Government projects costing RM50 million and above will be overseen by the federal government with immediate effect.

This is to prevent building flaws such as those affecting several sports facilities in Kuala Terengganu recently.

Earlier this month, the Works Ministry closed the Aquatic Centre in Batu Burok due to building flaws. In June it closed the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium in Gong Badak after its roof collapsed.

Public Works Department (PWD) director-general Datuk Seri Dr Judin Abdul Karim said although problems had cropped up in the building stage of the Aquatic Centre, causing the project to be delayed by about five months, the federal PWD was not notified.

Part Of Oil Royalty To Be Used For Kuala Terengganu's Development

KUALA TERENGGANU, July 19 (Bernama) -- Part of the oil royalty from the federal government will be allocated soon for more development projects in and around the state capital, also known as the Heritage Waterfront City.

Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said said when the money had been received, the initial step taken would be to acquire land in the Layang and Tanjung areas up to the Astaka Supermarket.

"The land acquisition will cost hundreds of millions of ringgit due to the steep price of land in the areas as they are in the city centre," he told reporters at an event with the people in Kampung Alor Limbat, here, Sunday.

Ahmad said the state government would further develop Kuala Terengganu with more commercial areas where 50 per cent of the shoplots would be sold and the rest rented out to bumiputera traders.

He said Kuala Terengganu would also have more of other facilities as it was rapidly developing like other cities and major towns in the country.

On the state government's aid programme to help students with sight problem, Ahmad said so far 20 students had follow-up treatment at the Tun Hussein Eye Hospital in Petaling Jaya.

He said there were also those who required eye surgery by specialists overseas.

On another development, Ahmad said he was confident that Barisan Nasional could wrest back the Bukit Payung state seat and Marang parliamentary seat in the next general election.

He said this was based on the people's positive response to the programmes organised by the state government and the hard work put in by the Umno machinery itself.

The two seats were won by PAS in the last general election in 2008.

-- BERNAMA

Probe On Collapse Of Stadium's Roof Almost Completed

KUALA TERENGGANU, July 14 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has almost completed the investigation papers on the collapse of part of the roof at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium, last month.

MACC Director (Intelligence Division) Datuk Mohd Jamidan Abdullah said so far, more than 90 per cent of the investigations, pertaining to elements of corruption, power abuse and misappropriation, had been carried out.

"We will complete the investigation papers as soon as possible," he said after closing the Seminar on Integrity in the Management of the Environment - Local Authorities for the northern zone, here Tuesday.

In the incident on June 2, almost 60 per cent of the roof structure of the stadium, which cost RM270 million and was opened by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin on May 10, last year, collapsed.

Commenting further, Mohd Jamidan said the investigation involved everyone and would be comprehensive.

"We needed some time to finalise the investigation. Sometimes, the witnesses are abroad and so on," he said.

In another development, he said the SPRM's intelligence branch for the Eastern Zone would be created this year to check corruption in a more effective manner.

-- BERNAMA

Aquatic complex declared unsafe

KUALA TERENGGANU: The Works Ministry has ordered the Batu Burok Aquatic Complex to be closed to the public immediately until it is declared safe, said Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor.

“We are concerned about the myriad defects. The facility will be temporarily closed until it is declared safe to be utilised,” he said.

He had a first-hand look at the problems at the complex here yesterday.

He was accompanied by Public Works Department director-general Datuk Seri Judin Abdul Karim.

Shaziman said there were visible leaks which could have caused the steel structure to corrode, although the venue was only opened last year.

The Aquatic complex under the purview of the Kuala Terengganu City Council was constructed at a cost of RM18mil and was used for the Malaysia Games last year.

On the probe on the collapse of the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium roof in early June, Shaziman said a preliminary report would be released in 10 days.

Shaziman said the PWD would also mobilise its engineers and architects to conduct periodical safety checks on all mega projects.

He said the checks would focus on the type of materials used and whether work was being carried out as scheduled.