Six contractors blacklisted by Education Ministry

Saturday April 10, 2010
By FARIK ZOLKEPLI and KAREN CHAPMAN
farik@thestar.com.my

BATU PAHAT: Six contractors responsible for abandoned projects amounting to RM180mil have been blacklisted by the Education Ministry.

Deputy Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi said the errant contractors had failed to complete projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

The projects included SMK Sri Putra in Bangi, SM Bayan Lepas in Penang, Regional Science and Mathematics Centre in Sarawak, the teachers’ quarters in Kuantan, SM Sains Gua Musang in Kelantan and SM Sains Batu Pahat.

“Among their favourite excuses are shortage of funds and manpower. We are not going to tolerate such contractors. We hope to teach them a harsh lesson by blacklisting them,” he told newsmen after visiting the SM Sains Batu Pahat abandoned project yesterday.

Dr Mohd Puad said that 33 more contractors had been issued warning letters, which would be followed by termination if the projects were not completed.

“All abandoned projects will be revived by appointing new contractors,” he said, adding that future contractors would be screened thoroughly.

On the SM Sains Batu Pahat project which costs RM46.5mil, Dr Mohd Puad said that work was supposed to be completed in September last year and the first intake of students was to have been in January.

“However, after two warning letters, the contractors still failed to complete the project.

“We have already fired the contractor and a new one has been appointed,” he said, adding that the project is now expected to be completed by year-end.

Asked for more details later, Dr Puad said the blacklisting of the contractors involved 45 projects classified as “sick projects”.

This meant that they were uncompleted.

He said the 45 projects represented 0.32% of the total 14,181 projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

Dr Puad also said that the 33 contractors had received warning letters for breach of contract.

“We are considering whether seven more contractors should be given extensions to finish their projects which are either incomplete or late. They may also get warning letters if they are unable to finish their work,” he said.

He said once a new contractor was appointed for a project, they would proceed with the work that had been left uncompleted.

Education Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Zulkurnain Awang told The Star that other relevant agencies would also be informed about the contractors blacklisted by the ministry.

He said the ministry would call for tenders for new contractors to complete the projects.

Asked how the ministry would recover the money after the contractors were blacklisted, he said their deposits would be forfeited.

“The ministry is also losing time as these projects are uncompleted,” he said.