MERSING: Johor Menteri Besar has instructed the public works department (JKR) to pull up their socks to complete construction works on the combat diving pool in Kem Iskandar, here, immediately.
Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said state public works department officers should monitor the project diligently from now onwards and ensure it is delivered by its now new delivery date – by June this year.
Asked on the next course of action if the project is not delivered by its new stipulated timeframe, Onn Hafiz replied "Then JKR has to answer for themselves"
Meanwhile, State Public Works, Transport and Infrastructure committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh said the state works department guaranteed that the RM23.6 million pool meant will be completed by June this year.
The pool meant for the Special Forces Group's (GGK) commando training purposes, is almost 98 per cent completed, while the remaining finishing touches included tiling, pathways and doors, among others are currently under construction.
Fazli Mohamad Salleh said three of the six extension-of-time (EOT) given was during the Covid-19 pandemic, while there was a lockdown under the Movement Control Order (PKP).
"The remaining three were due to technical issues which included approvals and variation orders," he said, today.
He added the project signboard at the camp construction site was not demolished, but fell due to wear and tear. The signboard has been resecured.
Out of the RM23.6mil cost for the project, RM22.2mil has been released to the contractors.
He also said if the pool was not delivered by June this year or if another EOT is requested, the constructors will be charged a fine on a daily basis, until it is delivered.
When asked if the contractors will be "blacklisted" or there were any suspected misused of funds, that may require the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to step-in, Fazli said there were no such practice discovered thus far. However, he did not rule out the possibility that a thorough investigation will be conducted if the pool was not delivered by June.
Meanwhile, it is learnt that Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi will seek an audience with the Agong today, to explain the delays.
Yesterday, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia expressed his unhappiness, after the pool contractors failed to meet their December 2022, handover deadline.
He called for the responsible parties to explain the delays.