Judging real value of public projects

WHEN a public project runs late, the consequences extend beyond missed deadlines. But even when it is completed, an equally important question remains: Has the investment delivered the benefits people actually need?

Recently, Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi told the Dewan Rakyat that 38 Public Works Department (JKR) projects with a combined value of RM2.08bil were classified as ailing as of Oct 31, “Contractors’ poor management behind 77% of delays in ailing govt projects, says Nanta” (The Star, Nov 3).

Poor planning, weak site coordination and difficulties managing manpower, machinery and materials as well as land acquisition issues, utility relocation and site access were cited as reasons behind the problems.

In more than two decades working in construction, I have seen detailed schedules unravel because it was assumed that work could begin before drawings were ready, approvals secured or sites handed over.

Effective planning requires more than setting deadlines. Project teams must establish whether designs are sufficiently complete, work areas accessible, resources available and critical decisions resolved.

They must also understand how activities depend on one another. Adding workers or machinery cannot recover lost time when the work itself is not ready to proceed.

These responsibilities extend beyond contractors. Project owners, consultants, utility providers and the relevant authorities all influence delivery.

Clear responsibilities, early coordination and timely decisions can prevent manageable issues from becoming costly delays.

During construction, monitoring should identify emerging problems and trigger corrective action. Reporting delays without resolving their causes achieves little.

The Sabah Pan Borneo Highway provides a timely illustration. The October 2026 Auditor-General’s Report highlighted prolonged delays, cost increases and weaknesses in project planning, site readiness and coordination.

Although substantial construction progress has been achieved, the delays have postponed the intended benefits of safer roads and improved connectivity for communities.

The lesson is clear: shortcomings in project preparation and coordination affect not only schedules and budgets but also when people can start to benefit from public investment.

This is where sound project management processes matter. Their purpose is not to generate more paperwork but to ensure that work progresses safely, efficiently and with fewer avoidable disruptions.

The Project Management Institute’s PMBOK Guide, Eighth Edition, published in 2025, reinforces the importance of disciplined project management practices alongside value delivery, adaptability and accountability. The message is straightforward: effective processes help deliver projects while a focus on benefits ensures that those projects achieve meaningful outcomes.

The LRT3 Shah Alam Line offers another useful example. When the 37.8km railway began operations in June 2026, the supporting infrastructures, including pedestrian connections around certain stations such as Stadium Shah Alam (pic), were not fully ready to complement the completed rail system.

A railway may be operational, but its full value depends on whether passengers can reach stations safely, make convenient connections and complete their journeys efficiently.

Different organisations may be responsible for railway construction, pedestrian access and surrounding developments, but commuters experience them as one journey. Their planning and completion timelines must therefore be aligned.

This distinction matters for all public infrastructure. A hospital building must support accessible healthcare, a school must provide a suitable learning environment, and a road must improve mobility and connectivity. Completing the physical asset is an important milestone, but its real value lies in the benefits experienced by users.

Public projects should therefore define their intended benefits from the outset, assign responsibility for achieving them and measure outcomes after completion. For transport projects, this means looking beyond construction progress to accessibility, ridership, journey convenience and user satisfaction.

Such measures help determine whether public investment is delivering its intended value.

IR PROF TS DR JEFFREY YAP

Faculty of Engineering & Science

Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR)