
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Public Works Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya says he will look into the allegations of contractors' "commission" payment to "stakeholders" within the ministry.
"This is my first day in the ministry, I have yet to find out. Give me some time, I need to get a full report and briefing.
"I will work with the permanent secretary and senior officers to check on that accusation and I believe if there is any wrongdoing, we will take the necessary actions to curb that from happening," he said at a press conference after a briefing from the agencies at state Public Works Ministry building near here.
It was reported that the Sabah Water Department scandal trial witness, a former state Water Deputy director Teo Chee Kong, had testified that since 1989, there had been such a practice.
Teo had said that from 1998 until September 2003, he had been collecting money from companies and handed those money to the director (five per cent), quantity surveyor (three per cent), chief water engineer and an accountant (one percent).
The witness was Keningau District Works Engineer in 1989 and was promoted to deputy director on Feb 2015.
Teo was testifying in the trial of Ag Mohd Tahir Mohd Talib, 58 and his wife Fauziah Piut, 55 who are jointly tried with Lim Lam Beng, of 66 to 37 counts of money laundering charges, involving cash and bank savings amounting to RM61.57 million, as well as unlawful possession of luxury goods.
Meanwhile, on the progress of the Sabah Pan Borneo Highway project, Shahelmey said 73 percent of the 15 packages were completed.
"Two of the packages have been completed, they are in the Sandakan and Kinabatangan areas. Few more are expected to complete early next year while the rest will be at the end of 2024."
He also said that there was a need to improve staffing for the agencies under the ministry to improve service delivery systems for the people.
Sumber: New Straits Times
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