RM40mil treatment plant under scrutiny

SEMPORNA: A RM40mil rural water treatment plant came under the scrutiny of the country’s top graft buster Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad who flew into this Sabah east coast town to check out the facility amid a massive probe into abuse of federal funds for the poor.

The water treatment plant was built with Rural and Regional Development Ministry funds in 2013 but is not in use because water pipelines to seven villages have yet to be connected.

Some 4,000 villagers who were to have benefited from the project have yet to get their piped water.

Apparently, the water supply from the river was also insufficient for the treatment plant to work, Dzulkifli told reporters after checking out the facility at Kg Sungai Intan.

Dzulkifli said the project was among those under the miscroscope in MACC investigations into the alleged abuse of power and corruption in the implementation of rural water, electricity and road projects in Sabah.

He told reporters that it was an example of government funds failing to benefit the people.

“The project is complete but it is not able to function,” he said, adding that the people had been waiting for more than 30 years for piped water.

“They still do not have proper supply. They have to rely on a well and water is supplied every two or three days,” he added.

“As a government agency, MACC wants to ensure that all projects are implemented with honesty and integrity. If anyone abuses their power or commits corrupt practices, we will act against them,” he said.

Dzulkifli said they were dutybound to act against those involved in corrupt practices in government projects that are meant to benefit the people.

The people suffer because of the actions of those given the task to implement the projects, he added.