Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan
LAWAS: Works Minister Baru Bian was wrong to classify the Lawas Hospital project as ‘sick’, especially when a contractor has yet to be appointed to carry out Phase 2 of the project.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan who said this pointed out that prior to the general election last year, the project’s status was at value management stage where a contractor had already been identified.
“However, the Pakatan Harapan federal government decided to introduce tender qualification (after the general election) and I am unaware of the progress from there onwards although the first phase has been completed.
“So it is not right for Baru to say it (Lawas Hospital) is a sick project when it has not been offered yet,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday, when asked on the status on the second phase of the project.
Awang Tengah was responding to a news report last month in which Baru said his ministry had completed a review of the ‘sick’ project and had released the invitation to tender on Feb 15, with tender documents put up for sale on March 4.
“What is important is for the federal government to decide fast as we need this hospital up and running. The need is very critical,” added the deputy chief minister.
On the Lawas Airport project undertaken by the Sarawak government, Awang Tengah said RM150 million has been allocated under the Northern Region Development Agency (NRDA) for the first phase, after the federal government decision not to include the project in the national budget.
The project was approved by the previous federal government but was shelved by the new administration.
According to Awang Tengah, the airport is designed to cater for ATR-type aircraft to meet the demand of Lawas and southern Sabah – a critical component for the greater scheme of things in Lawas’ development plan.
The NRDA has been allocated RM1.5 billion by the Sarawak Government to accelerate development in the northern part of the state, with emphasis on the provision of infrastructure and amenities.
On Sunday, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg told youths at a town hall session in Lawas that he had approved the allocation and that Awang Tengah, who is NRDA chairman, would oversee the roll out.
The chief minister said Lawas’ future is bright and that it has already attracted the attention of potential investor from Hong Kong for an integrated petroleum complex project, which would be an economic game-changer that would transform Limbang and Lawas.