Darul Hana Musical Fountain.
KUCHING: Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) said they welcome the Auditor General to examine the details of the Darul Hana Musical Fountain project and to make the necessary auditing.
In a statement issued to the media today, DBKU stressed that the Darul Hana Musical Fountain project had fully complied with all the financial and technical process and procedures.
DBKU stated that the details of the design have been deliberated by the technical and cost committee and also by the professional consultants.
“The project is managed and monitored by DBKU and it was based on design and built initiative using modern technology and system. The extent of the project includes cascading water features, piling works, landscaping, control room with computerised system, electrical substation, waterfront walkway, sound and lighting system, and the state of the art fountain system.
“This includes the floating pontoon system that provides the supporting arm, filter screen, fountain nozzle and navigational lights,” it stated.
DBKU also stated that the Darul Hana Musical Fountain project is a specialised project and marks another modern iconic landmark for the state.
“The project would attract both domestic and foreign tourists to Kuching, being a gateway to Sarawak, and thus providing a spin off to the community and businesses, especially the small businesses.”
Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How in a statement carried by local newspapers and national news portals, queried the RM31-million price tag of the musical fountain that is built along the river in front of the State Legislative Assembly Complex.
On Tuesday, See questioned the high price of the project, which is only around 80 metres and was not throughout the opposite side of the Kuching Waterfront. He rationalised his suspicion by comparing it to the recently completed Darul Hana Bridge or Golden ‘S’ bridge across the Sarawak River which cost the state RM35 million, and the floating mosque which is projected to cost only RM10.6 million.
“Is the Darul Hana Musical Fountain such a monumental engineering feat equal to the Darul Hana Bridge or three times the cost of the floating mosque?” he was quoted as saying.
Following the statement issued by See, a reliable source had told The Borneo Post that the federal Auditor-General had sent the newspaper report on the question raised by See on the RM31 million spent to build the Darul Hana Musical Fountain to the State Audit Office.
The source also added that the State Audit Office has been instructed to check on the project.