Agencies urged to lower repair, maintenance cost

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AN opposition assemblyman recommended agencies such as the Drainage and Irrigation Department, Water Department and Public Works Department to undertake a thorough study on how to lower the cost of repairing and maintenance works they carried out.

“For example, doing a proper road construction will reduce the cost of repair and maintenance. I am not happy to see how our roads deteriorate so fast. They become very dangerous to road users. The digging and patching is a common view along our roads,” said Sri Tanjong assemblyman Jimmy Wong Sze Phin.

According to Jimmy who is Sabah Democratic Action Party chairman, there were also items that were rather unnecessary but approved in the supplementary supply allocation, including the additional fund for the procurement of medals for state awards recipients.

He noted the amount approved for this purpose under the 2012 Budget was RM1.2 million but the amount was increased to RM2 million.

“I would like the government to spend more on poverty eradication and helping the less fortunate than focusing on awards.

“I am also attracted to the additional fund for paying the elected representatives’ medical fees, where RM730,000 is applied for in this supplementary budget.

“I can see medical fees have been increasing and would like to know from the government why is this so? Is it because many ADUNs are not healthy? It will be good if the government can give us a breakdown on how the budget on medical payment is used and who are involved,” he suggested when debating the RM434.45 million Supplementary Supply Bill.

The assemblyman noted the supplementary bill, which was approved with unanimous support from government representatives, even saw several cases of additional funds applied were more than double the estimates initially approved.

He said while it was understandable that some items might require higher additional funds, such as matters involving natural disaster, the cost of government development projects should not be too high than what had been estimated.

“I certainly hope to see better budget estimates in the future,” said Jimmy, adding that he was also worried of the many outstanding bills that had to be cleared using additional or supplementary funds.

Fellow opposition representative, Melanie Chia from Sabah Progressive Party, said the additional allocation being applied for was so big that some of them exceeded 150 per cent from the original allocation that had been approved.

“For example, RM15 million was approved for the maintenance and repair works for the water pipe system and the additional allocation applied is more than double at RM38 million,” she said.