Uggah: It is important that we have our fingertips on everything.
IT is imperative for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development (MIPD) to be well informed of progress of all its projects for the sake of the people’s well-being and for the state’s continued economic growth.
“It is important that we have our fingertips on everything,” said its minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas in a special interview with The Borneo Post at his office in Kuching.
Uggah, who is a Sarawak Deputy Premier, said his ministry had set up a Rural Connectivity WhatsApp group for effective inter-agency communication and a task force to monitor ‘sick’ (stalled or abandoned) projects.
It also aims at educating grassroots leaders including village security and development committees (JKKKs) on the importance of raising constructive questions and playing the role of the ‘eyes and ears’ of the government.
“Part of my initiative is to find solutions,” said Uggah when asked what his goal was in his first 100 days in the ministry.
Sick project monitoring task force
Uggah was the Minister of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development for five years before he took over MIPD from the late Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing on Jan 4, 2022.
“In one of PBB (Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu) meetings, I have told the JKKKs to ask for billing quantities and specifications of projects, for example the width and the materials used and, to check what the government (agencies) have promised is done. If not, get back to me,” he said.
“(And) whoever certifies the completion of projects is to make sure that the materials used in projects must comply with specifications otherwise non-compliance, despite the completion (of a project) will tarnish our image,” he said.
Similarly, Uggah said he had instructed the Public Works Department (JKR) to identify and prioritise sick and delayed projects.
“The ministry has set up a Sick Project Monitoring task force to ensure that all sick and delayed projects would be resolved within two years,” he said.
Also during the first 100 days of him in the ministry, Uggah had visited all priority critical projects and had been briefed by all stakeholders involved.
The ministry and JKR too had been instructed to come up with remedial proposals and suggestions to resolve issues brought up during visitations and briefings.
The MIPD is also to consolidate remedial plans and act, he said.
Uggah, who is also Second Minister for Finance and New Economy, did not deny that there existed projects along the Coastal Highway that were behind schedule.
He said the common factor contributing to ‘sick’ projects involved problems stemming from lack of capital affecting contractors who have unregistered and a multi-layer of sub-contractors.
“Orang lain makan isi, dia makan tulang (sub-contractors profit most from the payment, while the main contractor are left with scraps),” he said when explaining the issue.
He also did not deny that delay or non-payment for works done by sub-contractors had contributed to the problems.
“We (state government) are in the midst of discussing how to have a mechanism to ensure that the right company is being appointed.”
“Maybe in the future we would like them (main contractors) to sub-contract works but they are to register the sub-contractors so that we can assess if they could do the jobs.
“If the project is 90 per cent completed, for instance, we may not terminate the service of the main contractor, but they are to look for a sub-contractor to fully complete it and we will do assignment payment to the latter, instead” he said.
Challenges of Covid-19
Uggah attending a briefing on the Second Trunk Road at a site office in Sejingkat recently.
He also did not deny that many development projects throughout Sarawak were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022.
Many projects were not able to proceed during the Movement Control Order (MCO) lockdowns, which also saw manpower shortages as the result of the closure of foreign borders, logistics delays in delivery of supplies and the higher prices of building materials, he said.
Among his interventions was the ‘rescue contractors’ approach introduced as part of the solution to expedite the delivery of projects with terminated contractors, he said citing the Marudi Bridge project as case in point.
He also proposed that variation of price of construction material costs be brought to the Sarawak Cabinet to assist contractors with the price of certain construction materials.
Uggah said road projects were most critical since people expected good connectivity and so all works should be completed within schedule.
While the Pan Borneo Highway is a federal project, the Coastal Road and Second Trunk Road are state projects, he pointed out.
He said the MIPD initiative is to relook at the cost of road construction with connectivity as priority in mind and to work out the technicality and mechanism to reduce cost.
He cited as examples, the usage of local river aggregates rather than transporting granite for materials from hard reach places and, to upgrade existing logging roads towards reducing cost.
“It is very important for projects to be completed on time to meet people’s expectations so that they can benefit and also their areas develop and contribute to economic growth.
“Without development how to have economic growth?” he asked.
The Sarawak government has the resources including the helpful sales tax to make sure the six to eight per cent economic growth is achievable, Uggah pointed out.
Uggah (right) with Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg (centre) and Works Minister Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof showing thumbs-up for the Nyabau flyover’s official opening in February this year.
“The ability to achieve the six to eight per cent annual economic growth depends on our capacity to inject money into the economy.
“Let’s say the development budget is RM10 billion, how much is that RM10 billion injected into the economy to create growth we are anticipating in addition to investment and export-import value?
“That is why it is very critical not to stifle the ripple effects otherwise negative effects will follow,” he stressed.
‘Future-ready ports in Sarawak’
File photo shows Uggah (front, second left) with other VIPs being briefed by Miri Port Authority general manager Serawa Budol (front, centre) on port development.
Sarawak strives to ensure that its ports are future-ready and able to compete regionally and internationally.
According to Uggah, these facilities are also meant to facilitate economic development of the state.
The Second Minister for Finance and New Economy, however, did not deny that the ports in Sarawak had been facing efficiency issues.
He said within the first 100 days period, he had visited all the port authorities – namely the Kuching Port Authority, Rajang Port Authority, Samalaju Port Authority and Miri Port Authority.
He had also instructed the MIPD and these port authorities to come up with remedial proposals and suggestions meant to resolve issues that were brought up during his visitations and briefings.
He had also hosted a townhall session, particularly with Samalaju Port Authority stakeholders and foreign investors.
In this respect, he said the MIPD was to set up a committee to come with a proposal towards resolving port congestion and the waiting-time issues.
His initiatives that are awaiting Sarawak Cabinet’s approval include the proposals of expanding Senari Port to meet future demands and resolving its congestion issues; proposed upgrading of the technology used in port operations to improve efficiencies and service delivery; and the proposal to privatise Miri Port operations involving channel-deepening and dredging works on Kuala Baram.
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