Poser over uncompleted projects

Poser over uncompleted projects
NST 11/6/2005 Patrick Sennyah

SEREMBAN, NEGRI SEMBILAN, Tues.
Why did housing developers abandon 10 police housing projects nationwide which were just two to three per cent short of completion?

This is puzzling Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Noh Omar no end.

The abandoned projects have given him a huge headache in making alternative arrangements for policemen’s housing, besides costing the Government millions in rental.

Noh cited the example of an abandoned project which cost the Government RM1 million in annual rental.

"Every time a project is abandoned, the Finance Ministry has to start the entire tender process again and this wastes the Government’s time and money," he said.

Noh was speaking after the official opening of the new Seremban district police complex in Seremban Two by the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan, Tuanku Ja’afar Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Tuanku Ampuan Negri Sembilan Tuanku Najihah Tuanku Besar Burhanuddin.

His comments come on the heels of a statement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday that the welfare of the police, especially in relation to housing, was important.

Abdullah had earlier reprimanded a developer for delays in the completion of a housing project for policemen in Bukit Cagar, Johor Baru.

He had said that the Government took a serious view of such delays, and ordered the developer, Tekunraya Sdn Bhd, to speed up construction.

The RM43 million Seremban district police complex began operations last September.