THE management of school construction projects was found to be inefficient and ineffective based on the scope and audit samples covering the construction of 19 schools during the 2016-2021 period in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Malacca and Negri Sembilan. 

According to the Auditor-General’s Report 2021 Series 1, this was due to weaknesses at the planning, pre-construction and implementation stages of the projects by the Education Ministry (MOE), consultants and contractors. 

“There was also poor coordination with the state governments, local authorities and utility companies, besides the issue of preparedness of the project sites, which contributed to the delays in executing the projects. 

“This situation made the project objectives of accommodating surplus students by building new schools and having one-session schools difficult to achieve,” said the report.

The audit conducted was to evaluate if school construction projects had been planned properly and implemented prudently, efficiently and effectively to achieve the two objectives. 

To overcome the weaknesses and to ensure the mistakes are not repeated in the future, the auditor-general has proposed that the MOE conduct engagement sessions with all the parties involved, at the federal and state levels, and also finalise sites before projects are tabled for approval by the Economic Planning Unit to reduce the risk of delays in implementing the projects. 

He said MOE must ensure that plots of land handed over as education reserves by developers are suitable for construction and do not require additional complex groundwork. 

The report said the ministry must also streamline school construction procedures and processes for more organised project management and ensure they comply with all the current regulations. MOE should also conduct a review to identify the current requirements of school construction projects whose implementation stages have been delayed, said the report. – Bernama, August 3, 2022.