KUCHING: The Auditor-General (AG) Report 2017 has indicated that the Tanjong Manis Water Supply Phase 1 project did not achieve its intended objectives because one of the eight packages was not completed on time and also not according to the specifications spelt out in the work agreement.
The failed package was supposed to produce 125 million litres per day of raw water from Sungai Maaw in Sibu for supply to industries and households in Tanjong Manis via the river bank filtration (RBF) system.
“Even though the second to eighth packages have been completed, the tests and certification could not be carried out due to the failure of the first package, resulting in the efficiency of packages two to eight not being assessed, and consequently resulting in the entire Phase 1 of the project operations failing, with no benefit to the Halal Hub aquaculture industry and the people in Tanjong Manis,” said the report, which was tabled in Parliament yesterday.
“The management of the project did not achieve its optimum efficiency level as there were discrepancies in the job specifications in contract which did not follow the original design and (there was) no written approval from the enforcement officer for the new design from the contractor,” the report added.
The failure of the project has adversely affected the interest of the Sarawak government to get best return from a total investment of RM902.70 million for it (project), the AG report stressed.
The report said this compromised the government’s objective of getting the best value from the RM902.70 million spent, including procurement of pipes worth RM12.02 million which exceeded the actual amount needed, leading to possible wastage.
On July 25, 2013, the Sarawak government had approved RM1.06 billion under the provision of the 10th Malaysia Plan and such project was to be financed through government bond.
Sibu Water Board was appointed the implementing agency of the project, with Sarawak’s Utilities Ministry being the project enforcer.