Aidel: 4 of 30 ongoing govt projects in Kuching Division critically delayed

KUCHING (July 18): Four out of 30 ongoing government projects in the Kuching Division have been classified as critically delayed after falling behind their scheduled completion dates, disclosed Datuk Aidel Lariwoo.

The Deputy Minister for Infrastructure and Port Development said that these projects are being carried out by the ministry through the Public Works Department (JKR) Sarawak.

“In total, there are 53 projects in the Kuching Division worth RM2.219 billion at various stages of implementation.

“Of these, 23 projects have been completed, and 30 projects are still in progress. Out of the 30 ongoing projects, only four are slightly behind schedule and classified as critically delayed,” he told a press conference after attending a briefing on the updates of several projects in Kuching Division at the JKR office here today.

Aidel noted that among the four delayed projects is the SK Agama Datuk Haji Abdul Kadir Hasan project at Jalan Sultan Tengah, which is nearing completion but facing technical issues that require the contractor to relocate a nearby substation.

“The second project is the development of the Pusat Industri Lada in Semenggok, a federal government project, where the contractor has been terminated by JKR due to delays. The project will be retendered, and it is also nearing completion.

“Another project classified as critically delayed is the road upgrading project from Jambatan Sejingkat to Tanjung Bako, which has now been taken over by a rescue contractor,” he said.

He added that this project was delayed by approximately 10.61 per cent, but now the related issues have been resolved, and it is currently under implementation.

The fourth project under the same category, he said, is the proposed upgrading works for the Kolej Vokasional Rintis Bahagian Kuching, which is delayed by 7.8 per cent.

“However, overall project performance in the Kuching Division is satisfactory, and the ministry will continue to monitor progress to ensure projects are completed according to schedule,” he said.

When asked about the progress of the Jambatan Sungai Bintangor construction project at Jalan Datuk Ajibah Abol here, Aidel mentioned that the project has been granted an extension period of 819 days for completion.

He explained that the project has experienced slight delays due to several factors, including site construction issues, which have now been resolved.

“Previously, among the most significant issues for this project were related to utility relocation and other technical problems.

“However, we have granted an extension of 819 days, or just over two years, for completion. We hope the contractor can proceed, with the new completion date set for April 2025,” he said.

Also present at the press conference was Tupong assemblyman Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman.