THE Malacca government has asked Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to review the decision to put on hold flood mitigation (RTB) projects worth RM7 billion.

Chief Minister Sulaiman Md Ali said if the projects were delayed or reinvestigated, it would affect efforts to reduce the flood problems in the state.

“In Malacca, there are four or five RTB projects that have started since last September and some are implemented through direct negotiations and some go through the tender process because they are needed to reduce the flood problem.”

“These projects need to be completed immediately,” he told reporters after the opening of Sekolah Rendah Agama (SRA) Jaim Seri Duyong by Malacca Yang Dipertua Negeri Mohd Ali Rustam in Malacca today.

Commenting further, Sulaiman said Malacca received approval for an allocation amounting to RM932 million to implement the RTB projects to solve flood woes in identified risk areas.

He said among the RTB projects that have been approved are in Krubong, Sungai Duyong, Alor Gajah, Jasin and Merlimau. 

On Tuesday, the prime minister ordered a review of RM7 billion worth of approvals under the RM15 billion flood mitigation project that were conducted through direct negotiation instead of a tender process.

Sulaiman said the Malacca government had implemented 2,724 projects or development programmes involving allocations amounting to RM353 million from 2020 up till now.

“Alhamdulillah, I am very grateful that no bad project was recorded from 2020 until now,” he said. – Bernama, December 8, 2022.