KUCHING: Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian said there was a need to refine the open tender system for government projects.
He raised the issue on the back of disappointment over the delay of a safety concrete barrier project along part of Jalan Batu Kawah which is a federal road.
He was told by the Public Works Department (PWD) Sarawak that the contract for the the RM2 million four-package project was awarded through open tender in August last year with the date of completion scheduled for November last year.
“I was told that after the third warning letter, there is now some progress of 10 to 25 per cent with the new date of completion on May 22, 2022,” he said in a Facebook post on Saturday (Mar 5).
Dr Sim who is Batu Kawah assemblyman questioned if it was fair to give under-performing local contractors so many opportunities?
“Should we open up the tender outside Sarawak? Who is going to take responsibility for the safety of the users of Jalan Batu Kawah?” he asked.
Having said that he stressed that only competent and competitive Sarawak contractors should be awarded projects.
“Besides that, I have PWD Sarawak to monitor and manage the traffic to minimise inconvenience among road users during peak hours,” he said.
