Engineer, Architect? Far from it!

The story:-

MB becomes engineer and architect for a day

KUANTAN: Common sense can help avoid shoddy workmanship that can lead to a project to be dismantled and rebuilt, said Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob. This in turn could lead to the Government having to spend more of the people's money, he added.

Adnan cited an example of how he took it upon himself to measure and design a section of a road where a traffic light was located in Bentong after it was found that vehicles were unable to make a U-turn due to limited space.

Armed with a measuring tape, the mentri besar said he went to the location with a few officials, took the measurements and designed the expansion needed.

``I became the architect and engineer for the day,'' he said as the people laughed and applauded. They were attending the PWD quality day dinner hosted by the state government at a hotel here on Monday night. Among those present was PWD director general Datuk Ir Dr Judin Abdul Karim. Adnan also said taxpayers would tolerate it if a project had to be rebuilt once in a while but if it became a practise they would definitely have good reasons to be very upset.

He noted that PWD was always in the limelight but for the wrong reasons, likening the department's situation to that of `wakil rakyats'.

``Goods deeds done are normally left unsung,'' he added. Adnan said being in the spotlight would also require them to be on their toes and for them to continue to improve on the services rendered. Judin in his speech said the PWD had been asked to implement more than 7,000 development projects worth about RM72bil.

For Pahang alone, the development projects totalled 498 and were worth RM3.4bil. There were 46 road projects estimated at RM2.3bil, he added. ``The responsibility and trust given to implement more than 7,000 projects under the 9th Malaysian Plan and to manage the national assets is indeed a challenge for us.

``It requires an effective and efficient work process and delivery system that demands committment from everyone,'' Judin said.

Beating around the Bush

Whilst it makes sense when one says “common sense can help avoid shoddy workmanship that can lead to a project to be dismantled and rebuilt” but the problem is this – did the contractor who did the “shoddy” work was apprehended and punished? Or did the Government continued to “hand out” money to save the day and everything else was swept under the carpet?

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Talk is cheap and politicians like Adnan is ever willing to demonstrate it. Try beating the crap out of the shoddy contractor and perhaps we can start to listen to the propaganda that politicians dish out. Election must be very, very near indeed