idiotic projects

Wednesday April 18

Govt rapped over new mega-project at Putrajaya
Susan Loone

1:37pm, Wed: PAS member of parliament for Kuala Kedah Mohamad Sabu today rapped the Prime Minister’s Department for going ahead with building what he claimed to be the world’s largest conference centre in Putrajaya.

He said that the multi-million centre was expected to be completed in time for the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) summit to be hosted by Malaysia in 2003.

“Is it true that the cost of the centre will reach RM2 billion?” queried Mohamad, during question-and-answer time in Parliament today.

“If it is true, what is the justification for it when the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) and the National Exhibition and Conference Centre (NECC) at the former Subang Airport are adequate?”he asked.

Mohamad said during the present economic slowdown, it would be better to build more infrastructure such as roads, schools and hospitals.

“We would like to know if the building of this conference centre is a way to boost the economy and can we request for the project to be postponed? The PWTC, other than being used to hit out at Mahathir not too long ago, has never been used since,” he said.

Mohamad was referring to a gathering at the PWTC last February by a pro-Malay group who called themselves the Malay Action Front.

About 3,000 people attended the ‘Malays will not perish from the earth’ assembly which was led by Umno leaders such as Ibrahim Ali, Khalid Yunus and veteran politicians such as former deputy prime minister Ghafar Baba.

It was reported that the group took the opportunity to criticise Umno’s top leadership, especially its president Dr Mahathir Mohamad for the decline in Malay economic opportunities and poor public confidence in the party’s leadership.

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In reply to Mohamad’s comments, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tengku Azlan Sultan Abu Bakar said the construction of the centre would cost RM500 million and it was needed to accommodate a conference of international standards.

The centre would also to enhance the country’s image as many leaders from the world’s Islamic nations would be present at the OIC summit in 2003, he said.

He added the NECC at Subang was more appropriate for exhibitions organised by the private sector.

Barisan Nasional MP for Sri Gading Haji Mohamad Haji Aziz backed Tengku Azlan by saying that he supported the building of the RM500 million conference centre.

“I congratulate the prime minister because with the centre, Islamic leaders in other countries will look up to us. The prime minister has done many things for Islam, there are many examples,” he said.

“I would like to know when the centre will be built. Make it as soon as possible,” he added.