Oleh/By :DATO' SERI ABDULLAH BIN HAJI AHMAD BADAWITarikh/Date : 12/04/2006
Tajuk/Title : KENYATAAN MEDIA
Kerajaan Malaysia telah memutuskan untuk tidak meneruskan pembinaan jambatan bagi menggantikan Tambak Johor. Keputusan Kerajaan ini dibuat setelah mengambil kira suara dan sentimen rakyat Malaysia keseluruhannya terutama berkenaan bekalan pasir dan ruang udara. Kerajaan juga membuat keputusan untuk memberhentikan semua rundingan bersabit dengan jambatan tersebut.
THE Works Ministry has ordered Gerbang Perdana Sdn Bhd, the contractor of the “scenic bridge” meant to replace the Malaysian half of the 80-year-old Johor Causeway, to stop work immediately.
Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the Public Works Department’s director-general Datuk Dr Wahid Omar would officially inform the contractor of the government’s decision to scrap the project.
Why?
On 27th Jan 2006, DPM Najib and Samy Vellu confirmed that the bridge will be built. Samy Vellu even said work had started on a RM30 million road to link the Johor Causeway with the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex, where the proposed bridge will begin.
Najib said that work on the "scenic bridge" across half of the Johor Strait would proceed even though Singapore had yet to give an affirmative reply. However, he said, negotiations with the republic would continue.
Asked what would happen if negotiations with Singapore were not successful, Najib said: "If it is not successful, then it will become a half-bridge or scenic bridge."
Samy Vellu, meanwhile, said the bridge would be built across Malaysia’s half of the Johor Strait, within the country’s boundaries. He said he had instructed Public Works Department director-general Datuk Wahid Omar last week to issue a letter of intent to the contractor, Gerbang Perdana Sdn Bhd, on the Government’s plan to go ahead with construction of the bridge.
The Foreign Minister (Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar) had written a letter Samy indicating the directive from the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) to commence the construction of the bridge. "We will start negotiating with them on the cost of building the bridge as soon as possible. "I have asked the Prime Minister, who is also the Finance Minister, for a lump sum payment for the project. We will pay the contractor once and will not be burdened with the possibility of increasing costs. I believe I will get the approval from the Finance Ministry, and then we will start work," Samy said.
Samy Vellu said that everything was in place and work was expected to start as soon as possible.
Why the about-turn? Cakap Tak Serupa Bikin. If the reason to scrap the project is due to Singapore, then the govt shouldn't have announce the go-ahead. You can't say something yesterday and do another thing today. The contractor was told that they would receive the letter of intent and to proceed the works. They had mobilise their plants and equipments and manpower. How much do the govt had to compensate them? Isn't this a waste of public funds? That's why taxes had to increase to plug the leakages in the system administration.
Is there no competencies in decision-making? Aren't there suppose to be leadership?
THE Works Ministry has ordered Gerbang Perdana Sdn Bhd, the contractor of the “scenic bridge” meant to replace the Malaysian half of the 80-year-old Johor Causeway, to stop work immediately.
Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the Public Works Department’s director-general Datuk Dr Wahid Omar would officially inform the contractor of the government’s decision to scrap the project.
Why?
On 27th Jan 2006, DPM Najib and Samy Vellu confirmed that the bridge will be built. Samy Vellu even said work had started on a RM30 million road to link the Johor Causeway with the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex, where the proposed bridge will begin.Najib said that work on the "scenic bridge" across half of the Johor Strait would proceed even though Singapore had yet to give an affirmative reply. However, he said, negotiations with the republic would continue.
Asked what would happen if negotiations with Singapore were not successful, Najib said: "If it is not successful, then it will become a half-bridge or scenic bridge."
Samy Vellu, meanwhile, said the bridge would be built across Malaysia’s half of the Johor Strait, within the country’s boundaries. He said he had instructed Public Works Department director-general Datuk Wahid Omar last week to issue a letter of intent to the contractor, Gerbang Perdana Sdn Bhd, on the Government’s plan to go ahead with construction of the bridge.
The Foreign Minister (Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar) had written a letter Samy indicating the directive from the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) to commence the construction of the bridge. "We will start negotiating with them on the cost of building the bridge as soon as possible. "I have asked the Prime Minister, who is also the Finance Minister, for a lump sum payment for the project. We will pay the contractor once and will not be burdened with the possibility of increasing costs. I believe I will get the approval from the Finance Ministry, and then we will start work," Samy said.Samy Vellu said that everything was in place and work was expected to start as soon as possible.
Why the about-turn? Cakap Tak Serupa Bikin. If the reason to scrap the project is due to Singapore, then the govt shouldn't have announce the go-ahead. You can't say something yesterday and do another thing today. The contractor was told that they would receive the letter of intent and to proceed the works. They had mobilise their plants and equipments and manpower. How much do the govt had to compensate them? Isn't this a waste of public funds? That's why taxes had to increase to plug the leakages in the system administration.Is there no competencies in decision-making? Aren't there suppose to be leadership?
2 comments:
Regardless of the actual reasons for this sudden about turn concerning the cynic bridge, I believe it is the right decision.
Going ahead with a half bridge in defiance agst Singapore's wishes would ultimately result in a monument of shame and an object of ridicule for the rest of the world community.
I'm glad Pak Lah took this decisive decision to put an end to this matter once and for all. It'll save the taxpayer a whole lot of money, notwithstanding all that has gone down the drain on this mindless ego trip.
No doubt it may be the right decision to stop the bridge but the annoying fact remains that they had already given the green light for the contractor to start. Plus they were also so adamant about going ahead with the bridge even though it may be a 'half-bridge'.
So what brought about this turn-around? And I definitely don't buy the'taking into account the voice of the rakyat' excuse our PM gave.
Post a Comment