MP Tiong from Parliament Sitting.

BINTULU- Two companies that have been chosen by the Federal Government to carry out maintenance 
works on all the Federal roads in Sarawak are expected to commence with the works contracted to 
them early next year.

Public Works Minister, Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu said PPES (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd and HCM-Endaya Sdn 
Bhd are currently negotiating on the terms of agreements for the job with the government.
"The proposals submitted by the two companies had been received by the Privatisation Committee 
in the Economic Planning Unit of the Prime Minister Department," he added in reply to questions 
by Bintulu Member of Parliament, Dato' Seri Tiong King Sing at the current Parliamentary 
sittings.

Tiong had earlier asked the Minister to reveal the steps taken to upgrade and maintain Federal 
roads in Sarawak, especially in the division here, as the present roads had not been upgraded 
and maintained for a long time due to insufficient fund.

In his reply, Samy also added that the move to privatise the maintenance of Federal roads was 
one of the efforts taken to improve the quality of such works in the State as what had been 
implemented since early 2001 in Peninsular Malaysia.

Between 2000 until early 2002, the Federal Government had spent RM77,513,608.47 for the Federal 
roads in the State where RM14,148,624.18 were spent for the roads in Bintulu Division.

Until recently, he disclosed that a total length of 1,304 kilometre of Federal roads were 
recorded in Sarawak with 140 kilometres are in the Bintulu Division, where minor maintenance 
works were being carried by Public Works Department (JKR) workers.

"For bigger maintenance works such as restorations, it would be implemented via awarding of 
contracts which normally had to undergo a long process of tender," he added.