BAU: Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian will conduct a follow-up with the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) on the critically-delayed Siniawan Waterfront project.

In saying this, the Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government lamented that the current contractor for the project had displayed unsatisfactory work, despite having been given the Extension of Time (EoT).

“This waterfront project is under DID and they have been given time extension. I will speak to the DID director since the department is the implementing agency,” he told reporters after attending the Chap Goh Mei procession in Siniawan here yesterday.

“It is still under the existing contractor but the work is very unsatisfactory. We need to speak to the implementing agency, as to terminate the contractor will take us a long time before we can reappoint a new one.”

Works on the RM10 million Siniawan Waterfront project, which spans 120 metres, kicked off back in October 2020 and was set to be completed within 18 months from the date the contract was awarded.

Serembu assemblyman Miro Simuh, who was also present, told reporters the project was supposed to be completed in April 2022, but was given the EoT up to August last year, with another additional EoT up to August this year.

With its current progress at only about 52 per cent, Miro expressed his dissatisfaction over the delay.

“The reasons for the delay? I don’t know. You can ask DID on the reason behind it. I was never invited for any meetings (with regards to the project. This project is for the rakyat. If the contractor and the implementing agency don’t do their work, they are depriving the people’s aspiration, not me.

“I’m not the implementing agency or the contractor. However, the people have accused me of taking the (project’s) money and have asked ‘What is the YB doing?’,” he said.

Miro said he has done his part and it is now up to the contractor and the implementing agency to sort out the matter.