RM50,000 for a wooden jetty: It's legit, says MACC

PUTRAJAYA: No elements of corruption were detected following an inspection of the building of an RM50,000 wooden jetty in Kampung Mutap in Miri, says the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

The anti-graft agency had looked into the matter after the high cost of the jetty had raised eyebrows among the public.

“After inspecting the project, findings show there are no elements of corruption or misappropriation,” a source said on Tuesday (April 12).

The source said inspections by experts showed the wood used to construct the jetty was indeed belian timber.

MACC senior director of investigations Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hashim confirmed that inspection was made on the Sarawak Public Works Department project.

The department was recently criticised for uploading several photographs on the handing over of the jetty at Kampung Mutap on social media and revealing that the construction of the jetty was RM50,000.

Following questions that the cost was unjustified, the department later clarified the wooden jetty was built at the request of the village chief.

On its Corporate Communication JKR Sarawak Facebook page, the department said the village head rejected its proposal for a steel jetty as it was more expensive and would have been smaller compared with the one made of belian timber.

“In view of the higher expenditure required, the village chief rejected the proposed steel jetty and opted for a wooden jetty instead. The design requested by the village chief was 30m long with a timber shed,” the department added.

It further explained that the estimated cost was based on Sarawak JKR’s Schedule of Rates for the Year 2020 with a rate of RM9,000 per cubic metre for belian timber, apparently lower than the current market rate.