BUKIT MERTAJAM: Where did the money go?
That was the question posed by Works Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof to the Penang government on the federal allocation disbursed this year, to address the deplorable condition of state roads in Permatang Pauh parliament.
Fadillah said for this year, a total of RM2.5 million had been slotted for the constituency for road repairs and maintenance. Many of the roads include networks in rural and semi-urban areas.
"The locals have been complaining about the poor road condition. We have allocated a huge sum (for road repairs) to the state government based on the Malaysian Road Records Information System, or Marris.
"The people have also been in contact with the Public Works Department directly. Most complaints from Penang, are matters pertaining to state roads. So I am not certain how the allocation may have been used, or whether it had been spent for other purposes," he said.
In contrast, Fadillah said federal road projects were usually carried out under tight scrutiny in order to improve road networks and public facilities.
"For us (federal government), we will supervise the implementation and ensure the concessions hired to do their job properly," he said.
Earlier, Fadillah attended a gathering with Kampung Belah Dua folks, accompanied by his deputy Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin.