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KUALA LUMPUR: Two company directors in Sarawak have been arrested on suspicion of corruption and for making false claims worth tens of millions of ringgit in connection with the implementation of 10 road improvement projects under the Ministry of Defense in Sarawak by a worth 800 million ringgit.
A source from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said the two directors, both 44 years old, were joint proprietors of three companies that monopolized the related projects and were detained in a special operation in Kuching.
“The road construction project connecting various small towns in Sarawak is called ‘Projek Jiwa Murni’ under the ministry in question, and was awarded to the company from 2010 to 2016.
“Many complaints were received from the local community about poor road conditions due to the quality of the construction that did not meet the specifications,” the source told Bernama.
According to the source, some of the roads could not be used and were damaged several months after their construction, and the affected areas are Miri, Kapit, Ba’kelalan, Limbang and Belaga.
“Technical studies found that these roads do not at all meet the road construction standards set by the Department of Public Works and, in fact, these roads are only paved with a layer of tar that is estimated to be only two inches thick. on the ground surface.
“There is no layer of gravel and sand as stipulated in the terms of the contract, and this caused that the roads crossed by heavy vehicles, including wooden trucks, were easily damaged and thereafter could not be used by light vehicles as a connecting road to the interiors, ”said the source.
According to the source, the Sarawak government had ordered JKR Sarawak to repair and improve the roads because the designated contractor did not carry out the project.
“This has caused the cost of repairing the road to multiply and the leak has caused the state government to suffer losses of hundreds of millions of ringgit,” said the source.
The source further explained that what was most shocking was that of the four new contractors appointed by the state JKR for the highway improvement and repair project, one is believed to be owned by the same directors who carried out the previous failed project.
According to the source, companies under the mandate of the ministry in question should be blacklisted so that they do not get more projects after failing to implement the given project.
“They should be held accountable and take action against them, but instead, despite what happened, they were given another project under the name of a different company.
“Both directors of this company will be brought before the Kuching Magistrates Court tomorrow for a request for pre-trial detention under article 117 of the Code of Criminal Procedure,” said the source.
Meanwhile, MACC Deputy Chief Commissioner (Operations) Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya confirmed the arrest of all suspects.
He said the investigation into the case was carried out in collaboration with the Defense Ministry after the ministry’s internal audit report showed the project’s failure.
Khusairi said the investigation was carried out under sections 16 (b), 17 (a) and 18 of the MACC Act of 2009.
