Community leaders to monitor projects to prevent shoddy work: Uggah

BETONG: Community leaders can now closely monitor the implementation of government development projects in their areas to prevent any shoddy work, said Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
He said these leaders can get hold of the Bill of Quantities (BQ) that comes with each project and ensure that the implementation follows all the specifications so as to prevent any shoddy work which can be a source of unfair grievances against the government.
Uggah spoke to reporters here last night after closing a mountain bike race organised in conjunction with the Ulu Paku Carnival, at the compound of Rumah Francis Langgau in Ulu Penom.
Also present were Betong MP Robert Lawson Chuat, Layar assemblyman Gerald Rentap, the Science Advisor to the state government, Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, and Betong Resident Friday Belik.
Uggah, who is also the Minister for Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development, said the community leaders can report to the district office or elected representatives any contractor found not following the specifications.
"We want to have transparency in the implementation of all our rural transformation projects and, as such, we want to empower the community leaders in the implementation," he said.
Uggah said it is believed that Betong is the first place in the state where there is such monitoring and empowerment by the community leaders.
On the Ulu Paku Carnival, he said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg wants the rural people to have an extra source of income to allow them to uplift their living standard and thus the state government encourages and supports district and sub-district community festivals.
"Our rural folks are rubber, oil palm and pepper farmers but, with the festivals, they can participate in business opportunities by selling food products, handicraft or offering homestay packages," he said, adding that such festivals also enabled the rural people to strengthen unity and harmony.
At the event, Uggah also distributed government rural transformation grants totalling RM6.5 million for 44 projects to local community leaders, schools and associations.
He also gave away the prizes to the winners of the mountain bike race in which 67 riders took part. The riders included one from Sabah, one from Australia and three national cyclists from the Police and Terengganu teams. — Bernama