PAC to investigate six-year delay of Penang’s RM256m Bayan Baru sewage treatment plant project, says chairman

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 — The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will hold proceedings regarding the repeated extensions of time provided that caused the Bayan Baru Regional Sewage Treatment Plant (Phase 2) project to be delayed for more than six years.

Its chairman, Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said the proceeding, scheduled for Monday at the Parliament, will call on the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry (PETRA), the Sewerage Services Department (JPP), the project consultant and contractor to record their explanations and statements following a PAC visit to the site of the project, which costs over RM256 million, on Friday.

“The working visit is to look into the problems faced by the project, under the proceedings of the National Water Management, that is being investigated by the PAC and to provide a real picture of what the project is facing till delays have been caused,” she said in a statement.

She added that 11 PAC members joined the working visit, together with PETRA deputy secretary-general (water) Datuk Mohd Rozuan Mohd Baba Sakri, JPP director-general Wan Abdul Rahim Wan Abdullah, (IWK) planning and engineering department head Mohd Taufik Salleh and construction contractors.

Mas Ermieyati explained that the PAC had held four proceedings from July to October and conducted working visits to Sandakan and Tawau, Sabah on Oct 29 and Nov 1.

During those visits, she said that the PAC had looked at two projects, the Sandakan water supply system upgrade and the Tawau water supply scheme (phase 3) — dam building design and construction system project.

“The proceedings for both projects were held in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah with witnesses from PETRA and the Sabah state water department,” she added. — Bernama