MACC urged to investigate Railway Dept
Published on: Saturday, August 04, 2018
Papar: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has been urged to investigate the Sabah Railway Department (SRD) over the non-supply of quality materials for railway tracks which could result in derailments and prove fatal for passengers.State Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Peter Anthony said MACC should specifically look into a contract to supply rubber wood instead of the hardy selangan batu for the railway sleepers which easily got damaged and were not lasting. Selengan Batu could last 20 years or more."I find this very disappointing…If necessary, I will ask MACC to probe the whole Sabah Railway Department."ADVERTISEMENT He also said it was sad that despite the allocations to the department, Sabah Railways was still using museum pieces as trains. "I am very surprised and sad to see that our trains used as the mode of public transportation particularly from Beaufort to Tenom are in pathetic condition where a plastic mineral water bottle is used as the lid for the oil container."This shows how the previous government ran Sabah. However under the new Key Performance Index (KPI) of my Ministry, we aim to develop the railway and its infrastructure, including having quality trains with better comfort."We will forward our requests for funding to Federal as we have a plan to provide services connecting Melalap up to Beaufort and up to Tuaran, Kudat, Pitas and to Tawau in the East Coast of Sabah," he said.ADVERTISEMENT Peter said his Ministry also aims to see the trains in the State have the quality and development of modern trains like in Kuala Lumpur.He said it is necessary to upgrade the railway transportation to be able to transport cargo items and to replace those heavy vehicles laden with cargos that are sometimes overloaded and damaged the roads.
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On a related development, Peter said a ballast regulator, a machine used for maintenance to even and smooth the stones on railway tracks, that was damaged when it fell while transferring it on a heavy vehicle at the Sabah Port, must be returned to the contractor.He said a video on how the ballast regulator fell and damaged went viral in the social media, recently. It should not be stored at the Kinarut Railway but returned to the concerned contractor to be repaired."Sabah Railway Department has booked the ballast and it was seriously damaged. I was surprised to see the machine was stored in the Kinarut Railway store and we do not know under whose instruction or directive for the ballast to be kept in the store.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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"We will identify the individual responsible to allow the damaged ballast to be placed in the store and I will instruct for the machine to be returned to its rightful owner or the manufacturer or the contractor."I think we in Sabah do not have the expertise to repair the heavy machine and it really wonders me how this damaged ballast ended up in the store," Peter said. - Hayati Dzulkifli