KUALA LUMPUR – Federal Territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa should prioritise reviewing the issues surrounding the River of Life project before attempting to implement solutions, said her predecessor Khalid Abdul Samad.
Khalid also advised Zaliha to investigate financial issues related to the project by consulting the contractors involved to identify the main problem.
He noted that despite approvals for payments having been made in the past, the contractors had yet to receive their funds.
“Establish a new think tank, review the issues with the River of Life project, and determine the best possible solution.
“We cannot afford to disregard what has already been implemented and allow it to go to waste,” he told a press conference in Kg Sg Baru today.
“Approximately RM4 billion has been spent on this project, yet it remains incomplete. We must act swiftly and efficiently,” Khalid added.
“I hope Zaliha’s approach is not akin to ‘tikus baiki labu’ (making matters worse by trying to fix it).
“Take a step back, study the entire system, and determine what is needed,” he emphasised, urging for the project’s expedited completion to achieve the River of Life’s vision.
Khalid said the project was neglected during the previous administration led by Perikatan Nasional, claiming they were “too busy stealing people’s land and finding ways to make more money.”
Khalid’s comments were in response to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s Facebook post, which compared two articles – one from 2018 where Khalid mentioned the project was 80% complete, and a recent one where Zaliha stated it was 81% complete.
Najib deflected the blame for the project’s non-completion from his administration, saying that his six years of leadership had brought the project close to completion, but little progress had been made since then.
Khalid also mentioned that due to the weakening ringgit, the value of claims made by the contractors has increased, as some equipment for the River of Life’s maintenance is imported from the United States.
He noted that payments had not been properly disbursed despite approval by the Irrigation and Drainage Department, which had halted the contractors’ maintenance work.
The 2024 Auditor-General’s Report previously indicated that the project was unlikely to be completed this year, with eight out of 159 projects still ongoing.
As of July 2023, contractors had not been appointed for two projects due to the termination of previous contracts, and another dozen remain in the pre-implementation phase. – July 15, 2024