Gerbang Perdana Given More Time To Submit Claims.
So Gerbang Perdana Sdn Bhd (GPSB) has been given an extension of two months from next Tuesday to submit claims for compensation following the cancellation of the project to build a half-bridge to replace the Johor Causeway on the Malaysian side. The deadline for the company to submit the claims was supposed to be July 11 but it had applied for an extension.
GPSB had submitted preliminary claims totalling RM100 million for work done after the government decided to scrap the project last April. However later they shocked everyone with a whopping RM360 million claim! Following that, Public Accounts Committee Chairman Datuk Shahrir Samad had asked the auditor-general to look into the claims. Later, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the exact amount to be paid to GPSB would be decided after the company had submitted all the relevant documents.
What worries me is, as I've mentioned several times in the past, poor public memory and priorities. People will talk about Gerbang Perdana for a couple of days, a new sensational crisis will erupt and the damned company is all but forgotten by everyone, except for perhaps Lim Kit Siang. By the time he gets to voice his objections either the Parliament will be not in session or there will be other more 'newsworthy' happenings occupying the attention of our capricious public.
Two months is a very long time to keep a subject in public focus and I hope that the government won't very quietly pay off Gerbang Perdana what they are demanding, and then say that in fact the JKR had assessed and found their original claim to be correct, the cabinet had approved the amount and in any case it is now too late to do anything about it. Please don't laugh. Such things have been known to happen.
GPSB had submitted preliminary claims totalling RM100 million for work done after the government decided to scrap the project last April. However later they shocked everyone with a whopping RM360 million claim! Following that, Public Accounts Committee Chairman Datuk Shahrir Samad had asked the auditor-general to look into the claims. Later, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the exact amount to be paid to GPSB would be decided after the company had submitted all the relevant documents.
What worries me is, as I've mentioned several times in the past, poor public memory and priorities. People will talk about Gerbang Perdana for a couple of days, a new sensational crisis will erupt and the damned company is all but forgotten by everyone, except for perhaps Lim Kit Siang. By the time he gets to voice his objections either the Parliament will be not in session or there will be other more 'newsworthy' happenings occupying the attention of our capricious public.
Two months is a very long time to keep a subject in public focus and I hope that the government won't very quietly pay off Gerbang Perdana what they are demanding, and then say that in fact the JKR had assessed and found their original claim to be correct, the cabinet had approved the amount and in any case it is now too late to do anything about it. Please don't laugh. Such things have been known to happen.
posted by The Malaysian. at 7/07/2006 10:28:00 PM
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