KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged the opposition bloc to not politicise the postponement of the national flood mitigation projects.
During Minister's Question Time in Dewan Rakyat today, Anwar reiterated that the projects were postponed as they did not go through the proper tendering process, adding that it was costly due to the improper process.
"This is not a political issue so I want to put a stop to this. Every project that has not been signed has been cancelled to ensure it goes through the proper tendering process. Is that wrong?
"What we do not want is for direct negotiations to take place because then it will be too costly.
"However, the project is urgent and this is why we are changing to a limited tendering process to reduce the cost and the process will be hastened," he said.
Previously, Anwar had announced that the government will re-tender six flood mitigation projects starting in June this year.
He said the projects included flood-mitigation work at Sungai Johor, Kota Tinggi, Johor; the construction of the Sungai Klang-Sungai Rasau dual-function reservoir, and the Sungai Golok Integrated River Basin Development Phase 3.
The decision had sparked disagreement among the opposition bloc, including Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (Perikatan Nasional-Kubang Kerian) who likened the prime minister to a Mynah bird and was oblivious to the issues he was dealing with.
Tuan Ibrahim said it made no sense to call off the projects and issue a re-tendering of awards to reduce the government's spending as some of the projects had not yet begun.
Meanwhile, Anwar on March 5 announced that the government will expedite the flood mitigation projects worth RM600 million or more to avoid a recurrence of flood disasters beginning in June.