ISKANDAR PUTERI: The combat training pool at Kem Iskandar in Mersing is expected to be completed by June, says Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
The Johor Mentri Besar said the state government is monitoring the project closely to ensure its swift completion.
"The state government appreciates His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia's care and concern for infrastructure projects in Johor.
"In the case of the camp in Mersing, I was informed that six extensions of time (EOT) have been given since 2020.
"I have spoken to the Public Works Department (JKR) (about) the project and was told it will be completed by June," he told a press conference after the inauguration of the first cross-border electric bus service provider here on Tuesday (April 16).
ALSO READ: King orders clarification on combat training diving pool project delay
Meanwhile, state works, transportation, infrastructure and communication committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh said the training pool project was currently at 98%.
"(The remaining 2%) includes installing tiles, furniture, partitions and doors. Everything else has been completed," he said.
Mohamad Fazli said three of the six EOTs given to the contractor were because of the movement control order (MCO).
"The remaining three were over technical issues such as delays in getting certain approval and variation of order (VO)," he said.
VO refers to any increase or decrease in quantities within the general scope of a project.
On Monday (April 15), His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim ordered the party responsible for building the combat training pool at Kem Iskandar in Mersing to clarify the reason for the delays.
According to a post on His Majesty’s official Facebook page, the pool was supposed to be fully completed in December 2022, but remained under construction till now.
"I was told the relevant party had requested for extension six times.
"On Monday, I found the project signboard at the construction site was demolished,"," His Majesty said.
"The Johor Public Works Department and the Mersing district engineers have to explain to me why the signboard was pulled down," the King told the Royal Press Office on Monday.
