Uggah’s ministry to review JKR S’wak work process to deal with sick projects

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Chiew (right) and Safri exchanging handover documents witnessed by Uggah (second right) and others.

KUCHING (June 30): The Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development (MIPD) will be reviewing the work process of the Public Works Department (JKR) Sarawak as part of the state government’s efforts to minimise the occurrence of sick projects.

Deputy Premier Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said JKR Sarawak in fact already had a sophisticated standard operating procedure (SOP), yet the problem still exists.

“Despite this sophisticated SOP, there are currently 84 sick projects in the state. The question is why is this still happening?

“It is extremely critical for the projects to  eventually be completed because the people and the Government have very high expectations on JKR as well as the ministry to deliver.

“So our priority now is to come up with action plans to ensure they (projects) will be successfully implemented,” said Uggah, who is also the Infrastructure and Port Development Minister.

He was speaking during the handing over of duty ceremony involving his ministry’s retiring Permanent Secretary Datu Safri Zainuddin and successor Chiew Chee Yau today.

The ceremony, held at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here, was witnessed by Uggah’s deputy ministers Datuk Majang Renggi and Aidel Lariwoo, State Secretary Datuk Amar Jaul Samion and his deputies Dato Sri Abu Bakar Marzuki and Datu Ik Pahon Joyik, JKR Sarawak acting director Richard Tajan, and political secretary to the Sarawak Premier Dr Richard Rapu.

Apart from the ministry and JKR Sarawak, Uggah said other agencies under his ministry had been entrusted to deliver and work closely together.

“Successful completion (of projects) will spur further economic growth and will improve the people’s livelihood,” he added.

Uggah was however confident that Chiew, with his vast working experiences in JKR Sarawak, could help the department, the ministry and relevant agencies to improve the situation.

There were about 9,000 projects worth more than RM48 billion and five ports under his ministry, Uggah said.

On another related issue Uggah said the Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg too wanted the MIPD to review the overall policies, development and strategies of the five ports.

“These ports are arteries of the state’s further growth. Sarawak envisages a six to eight per cent growth in its Post Covid-19 Development Strategy 2030.

“This depends a lot on our ports’ efficiency, their development and ability to offer world class service to our clients – most of whom are foreign investors. So we too must plan out our strategies to achieve this target,” said Uggah.

The ports’ administrations also must be prepared to seek out and adopt the latest high technologies to enhance their services and performances.

“So I hope our new permanent secretary can play his role to chart out these enhancements,” he added.

Meanwhile, Safri, who is retiring today after a six-month extension, has been the ministry’s Permanent Secretary for 13 years.

He has served in the state civil service for 40 years altogether, beginning as an engineer at the JKR Sarawak headquarters here.

He had also served in Sibu and Kapit divisions.

Chiew started as an executive engineer  with a private firm before joining the department in August 1999.

He too had served in various capacities in Sri Aman and in the department headquarters including a stint as a project manager for the Pan Borneo Highway Sarawak.

In March 2020, he was appointed as JKR Sarawak acting deputy director.