Fadillah dismisses PKR leader's claims on COVID-19, hospital projects in Sarawak

KUCHING: Senior Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof yesterday slammed a PKR vice-president for making what he said were unfounded allegations against the government on its handling of the COVID-19 situation.

He said the allegations by Dr Michael Teo were not true as even in the midst of battling the COVID-19 pandemic, the government had done its best to provide for the essential needs of the people, including ensuring adequate facilities were available.

"This is because JKR (Public Works Department) is constantly monitoring the progress of the project and taking all the necessary measures towards accelerating its implementation, despite facing some unavoidable constraints (during the COVID-19 pandemic)," he said in a statement yesterday.

A local news portal reported Dr Teo as saying yesterday that the government should be proactive in expediting works on abandoned hospital projects in Sarawak.

Fadillah said PKR leaders were playing with perception and distorting facts by alleging that the delay in hospital projects had resulted in a lack of places to treat COVID-19 patients.

He said the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic had been recognised as among the best in the world.

On the Petra Jaya Hospital project, Fadillah said it is in the Tender Evaluation stage by JKR Malaysia and the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH), adding that the issuance of the Letter of Acceptance is targeted by the end of December and the date of ownership at the construction site in January next year.

On the implementation of the 76-bed Lawas Hospital project, he said construction started on June 30 this year and the actual progress percentage was 0.13 per cent as of July 31 this year, with the hospital targeted for completion by the end of 2023.

He said the Sri Aman Hospital project is being actively implemented, with close monitoring by JKR to ensure it could meet its targeted completion date in February 2021.