People counting on PWD to deliver, says Uggah

KUALA LUMPUR: Sarawak’s Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the Public Works Department is now under close scrutiny in the state.

“We are at the frontline of development, with numerous projects statewide. Therefore, we have a lot of construction work to supervise and monitor,” he said.

“People are watching closely because they want their projects implemented properly and completed on schedule,” he said.

Uggah said it is incumbent of all divisional engineers to remain vigilant to prevent project delays and also workplace accidents.

“We must avoid sick or delayed projects and workplace accidents at all costs. Our Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and mechanisms are in place to ensure this. Please review them thoroughly and adhere to them,” he said.

He made these remarks during a dinner on Friday (Aug 23) to honour the state PWD team that participated in the National JKR Sports Carnival 2024 here.

Uggah, who is also Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development, also suggested that Public Works Department (PWD) Director Dr Cassidy Morris form a team to reevaluate the department’s SOPs from the project design stage through to tender preparation, contract awards, implementation, and monitoring contractors’ commitment to completing projects on schedule.

Uggah noted that Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg had recently expressed dissatisfaction at a state cabinet meeting regarding the inability of some agencies to meet the current needs of the people and state development programmes.

“We need a very clear SOP. Wherever possible, we should shorten construction periods as speed is crucial in our tasks,” he added.

On a separate matter, Uggah called for stricter enforcement by department officers responsible for passenger safety on ferries.

He stressed the need for ferry operators to comply with all operating regulations, particularly ensuring that passengers wear properly fitting life jackets.

“We have 12 ferry crossings across the state, and passengers must wear life jackets. However, there are instances where ferry workers cannot provide the correct sizes,” he said, urging officers to take action against non-compliant operators.

“We must not condone any wrongdoing. It would be tragic if an accident occurred, and lives were lost due to our inaction,” he added.