Raising a stink: Sabah MACC say they are closely monitoring toilet upgrades in schools.
KOTA KINABALU: Graft busters are keeping a close watch on school toilet refurbishment under the government’s RM91mil project, after parents raised a stink about what they claimed was shoddy work.
Officers from the Sabah wing of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), led by its director Datuk S. Karunanithy, have been checking on complaints that ongoing works did not meet specifications.
When contacted, Karunanithy said Sabah MACC was closely monitoring the issue raised by the public, especially parents, that the current toilet facility upgrade in certain schools did not meet the requirements or was of poor quality.
He reminded all contractors to execute the job as per the terms of the contract under the bill of quantity (BQ).
“If they (contractors) submit any claims for work they did not carry out as per the BQ contract, they will be investigated under Section 18 of the MACC Act.
“The officer who endorsed the claim could also be investigated for abetting the contractor in submitting the false claim,” he cautioned.
Karunanithy urged all parties including the state Education Department and district offices to keep tabs on the issue.
“We will continue to monitor the project to ensure that government funds are used properly and meet the aim of having proper toilets in schools,” he said.
He advised school principals to ensure that jobs are carried out according to specifications and to not approve claims if the work did not pass muster.
The Federal Government allocated RM91mil for the refurbishment of toilets in 1,100 schools in Sabah, with an estimated cost of RM70,000 for each school.
The project is ongoing, with main contractors sub-letting the works to third parties.
There have been allegations that the contractors were cutting corners, which had led to shoddy jobs.
In some cases, the “completed” works were found to be below par and had to be redone.
