RM116.5 mln Marudi Bridge project on track for completion by this Christmas, says Penguang

MARUDI (July 5): The RM116.5 million Marudi Bridge project is 11 per cent ahead of schedule and is on track for completion by Christmas this year, said Deputy Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil.

From its ‘sick’ project status previously, he said the appointment of rescue contractor Pekerjaan Piasau Konkerit Sdn Bhd (PPK) in 2022 had turned around the long delay with new progress made every week.

“As of June 30, work progress is 11 per cent ahead of schedule, and at 86.1 per cent completion, and it has achieved over One Million Safe Man-Hours today.

“This is not an easy feat but you have achieved it without much sweat,” he said at the ceremony to mark the One Million Safe Man-Hours record by the Public Works Department, consultant and contractor at the site today.

Also present were Ir Ts Bujang Kanang representing JRK director, Miri divisional engineer Stephen Ung, PPK Head of Project Dominic Choo, heads of government departments and agencies, and community leaders.

Penguang said he believed that the project also served as a lesson to the authorities that the lowest price quotation is not necessarily the right decision despite popular clamour by the Opposition for open tender and lowest costs.

With the completion of the bridge, he said it would be an economic and road accessibility game changer for the people of Marudi and beyond in Baram.

With a slew of development projects ongoing and coming up in Sarawak, he said the implementing agencies must be pragmatic in awarding projects to contractors and ensure that project delivery is the bottom line, not the lowest price,

“My advice to JKR is don’t always take the lowest price quotation as there is no Ordinance to bind you to take the lowest tender price, as in this (Marudi Bridge project) case, to save RM4.9 million, it ended up costing more,” he said.

Work on the bridge started in 2019 after the previous contractor with the lowest bid of RM75 million secured the contract.

The project was scheduled to be completed in Jan 2022. But due to failure to deliver, the contractor was terminated, before rescue contractor PPK was appointed to take over.