Works Ministry Seeks Special Allocation To Build Motorcycle

[totalmotorcycle]

Works Ministry Seeks Special Allocation To Build Motorcycle Lanes
Wednesday, October 25, 2006 - Malaysian National News Agency - bernama.com.my




KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 (Bernama) -- The Works Ministry will submit a Cabinet paper in the next two months asking the government for a special allocation for the construction of motorcycle lanes at selected road stretches nationwide, Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Wednesday.

The ministry felt that it was vital for the construction of these motorcycle lanes, taking into account the high number of deaths among motorcyclists and pillion riders as revealed under the ongoing Ops Sikap XI road-safety campaign which ends on Oct 31, he said.

He said the ministry spent RM114 million under the Eighth Malaysia Plan to build motorcycle lanes at 12 stretches nationwide but no such allocation was made available under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.

Speaking to reporters after opening the annual general meeting of the Malaysian Indian Metal Traders and Recyclers Association here, he said the ministry had asked the government RM136 million for the construction of motorcycle lanes under the ninth plan but the request was denied.

"There is no allocation to build motorcycle lanes. We need to build motorcycle lanes at selected stretches on Federal Route 1 from Bukit Kayu Hitam in Kedah to Johor Baharu," he added.

Samy Vellu said the allocation requested this time round would be much more than the earlier estimate (of RM136 million).

"It would take us about two months to prepare the Cabinet paper. It has to contain details of the stretches involved and the cost to build the lanes," he added.

Samy Vellu also said that the Works Ministry would be giving out projects worth RM3.5 billion before the end of the year, adding that it had so far given out contracts for 55 projects worth RM2.1 billion.

He said that this month 20 projects worth RM261,170 were given out. In November, 20 more projects valued at RM200,000 would be given out and in December 100 more projects worth RM1 billion would be given out.

"In total, by the end of the year, we would have given out 195 projects valued at RM3.5 billion," he said.

Samy Vellu said this in response to questions from reporters on an allegation by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that the administration of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi did not give out projects and that contractors were complaining and going bust due to lack of projects. "I am not saying the allegations are true or otherwise. I am just presenting the facts of how many projects were given out by the Works Ministry. The prime minister (Abdullah) is not someone who runs away without giving any answers. This time the answers would be in writing.

"Any problems which crop up should be solved in one room. Not recorded and brought out. We have our ways to settling problems," he said in an apparent reference to Dr Mahathir's recording of his conversation with Abdullah.

Dr Mahathir had been criticising the running of the government and the economy of the country under the leadership of Abdullah over the past six months.

The former prime minister's dissatisfaction was over various issues like the scrapping of the proposed bridge linking Malaysia and Singapore, the issuance of the Approved Permits for imported vehicles and the lack of government-funded projects.

On Sunday, the two leaders met at Seri Perdana, the official residence of the prime minister in Putrajaya, and spoke for about two hours on the issues and Dr Mahathir's grouses.

Soon after the meeting, Dr Mahathir, who had tape-recorded the four-eyed discussion, revealed that although he was satisfied with the meeting, he was not happy with the response he got from Abdullah. This again stirred the hornet's nest with various ministers coming out in defence of the prime minister.

On another note, Samy Vellu, who is also MIC president, said he had spoken to Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Khir Toyo on the quota imposed by the state to limit only 10 licences to Indian scrap metal dealers in a district.

"I have requested the state government to review this ruling and the menteri besar agreed that the state government would have a re-look into the matter," he added.

He also said that scrap metal dealers in the future need not apply for permits at various government agencies as the government would set up a one-stop centre for such approvals.

"Presently, they had to apply to agencies like the police, the Fire and Rescue Services Department, the Department of Environment and the Health Department to set up a business. But now, with the one-stop-agency, this would become easier," he added.

-- BERNAMA