THE Sarawak Integrated River Basin Development (PLSB) Sungai Sarawak Package 2 and 3 projects are currently facing delays, with progress rates falling behind the original schedule.
Deputy Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government Datuk Dr Penguang Manggil said that Package 2, which includes land clearing and building a water retention pond at the former nurses’ quarters, is currently 0.27 per cent complete.
This, he said, falls short of the planned 1.77 per cent completion, resulting in a delay of 1.5 per cent. Likewise, Package 3 has reached 0.4 per cent completion, behind its scheduled target of 3.23 per cent, indicating a delay of 2.83 per cent.
“A ‘stop work order’ was issued on Aug 7, by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) following an appeal by the Sarawak Heritage Society (SHS) to protect the former nurses’ quarters, which they regard as a heritage site.
“This stoppage affected Package 2’s progress, which includes the construction of the SUStoM pond at the site near the Sarawak General Hospital,” he said.
He was responding to a query by See Chee How (GPS-Batu Lintang) during the question-and-answer session in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting today.
See had raised questions on the status of drainage upgrades related to the Sarawak General Hospital, Jalan Batu Lintang, and Sungai Tabuan as part of the ongoing PLSB project.
To resolve the current impasse, Penguang assured that a multi-disciplinary committee has been formed to explore solutions that would enable the project to continue while preserving the heritage value of the old nurses’ quarters.
He noted that the committee is tasked with formulating a compromise to ensure both progress and heritage preservation in the vicinity of the Sarawak General Hospital.
