Complete projects on time or face blacklisting, Dr Sim warns contractors

KUCHING (Aug 13): Contractors must complete their projects on time or face the serious consequence of being blacklisted by the government, said Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.

He reiterated this stern warning to contractors awarded government projects, expressing deep concern over the delayed progress in the construction of the covered basketball court at Batu Kawa Min Lit Secondary School, according to a press statement today.

Dr Sim, who is Batu Kawah assemblyman, urged the contractor to expedite the work and emphasised the importance of completing the project within the contractual timeline to ensure that the students and teachers at the school can benefit from the facility as soon as possible.

He said the RM350,000 development project for the covered basketball court is part of his Rural Transformation Programme (RTP) initiative for Batu Kawa.

The Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) awarded the project to the contractor on April 4, 2024, with construction expected to take five months and be completed by September 3, 2024.

As of the latest progress report, the construction should have reached 74 per cent completion by now. However, it has only achieved 55 per cent, indicating a significant delay of 19 per cent.

Dr Sim revealed that during an inspection by the Sarawak Implementation Monitoring Unit (SIMU) along with MPP, the Resident’s Office and his Batu Kawah Service Centre, the relevant authorities issued a warning to the contractor regarding the delay.

MPP had also issued two warning letters to the contractor on April 30 and July 16, respectively.

“The Sarawak Government’s stance is very clear: fulfilling government contracts is a matter of both credibility and responsibility. Contractors must complete projects on time to ensure that the ultimate purpose of government development, which is benefiting the rakyat, is effectively realised,” Dr Sim highlighted.

He also pointed out that the Sarawak government is poised to undertake more development projects with Sarawak’s increased revenue in recent years.