THE Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has recommended that Putrajaya investigate developer YTL Group over a public marina built on Perak’s Pulau Mentagor, which has never been operational since its completion in 2010.

The PAC tabled its findings on several controversial marina projects worth RM323.5 million which were approved under the Eighth and Ninth Malaysia Plans.

The projects were cited in the Auditor-General’s Report 2017 presented in Parliament on August 15, 2018.

Out of 11 marinas built, only five are still in operation and even these failed to achieve the goal of boosting the sailing industry and marine tourism in the area, said the committee’s report.

The PAC noted it was specifically “very concerned” about the case of the public marina built on Pulau Mentagor, which was originally to have been built in Lumut.

However, the project was moved to Pulau Mentagor after it was awarded to the YTL Group through a direct negotiation contract worth RM24.27 million, it said.

“This public marina was never in operation and has never been used following YTL’s loss of interest in developing this uninhabited island.

“Following these, the Parliamentary PAC is recommending that the Ministry of Transport investigate the culpability of the YTL Group in the Pulau Mentagor public marina project.”

In the AG’s report, some RM61.55 million in losses occurred when the Pulau Mentagor and Kuala Kedah marinas ended up as white elephants.

The committee said it had summoned chief secretary to the ministry Saripudin Kassim, and Saiful Anuar Lebai Hussen from the Ministry of Economic Affairs for questioning in November last year over the controversial marina projects.

As a result of its investigations, the committee said it found that “weakness in the development and management of the public marinas stems from the lack of a detailed feasibility study before any of the projects were carried out”.

“The objective of developing the public marina was to provide docking infrastructure for recreational boats with the purpose of encouraging yachting and marine tourism, (but) it failed to achieve its objective,” said the PAC.

The committee recommended the adoption of better management and control system over the marina’s financial systems, as well as more efficient revenue collection.

It also urged the government to streamline and increase security measures at public marinas which were seeing the influx of foreign nationals. – March 18, 2019.