Opposition party PKR today questioned why Awan Megah Sdn Bhd owned by Selangor Wanita Umno chief Raja Ropiaah Raja Abdullah was not dropped as the developer of the National Defence Studies Centre (Puspahanas) and penalised for delays in delivering the project.

azlan“This is because construction on Puspahanas was delayed despite the agreement being inked in 2005,” said the party’s director of strategy Rafizi Ramli at a press conference at the party's headquarters in Petaling Jaya.

He quoted the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) listing of the project as stating construction was to begin on Sept 25, 2008 and this was supposed to be completed on Jan 24, 2011.

However, Rafizi claimed that his visit to the site show less then ten percent of works had been completed.

The PKR official related that from the workers on-site, he found out that constructions on little works were being done on the Puspahanas buildings and only started in August 2011.

A contractor with the technical and financial capability to finish the job, unlike Awan Megah which he claimed does not have neither the expertise nor the funding, should be appointed, argued Rafizi, so that the project will at last see completion.

He also expressed puzzlement why even after the delay, the Defence Ministry as project owner, still did not liquidate the land bond put up as guarantee of completion, claiming he has proof that the bond had lapsed without being redeemed by the government.

“This is as good as forfeiting RM72.5 milliom of the rakyat’s money,” he said.

Rafizi contended that it should be standard practice for the government to penalise errant developers who failed to deliver projects on time by liquidating the completion bonds and appointing a ‘white knight’ contractor to rescue the project.

‘Deepak can drama all he wants’

Rafizi also dismissed allegations by controversial carpet trader, Deepak Jaikishan, that he is hogging the limelight on the issue to his own political advantage.

“Let him say whatever he wants... while Deepak doesn’t have to answer to the public we have to.”

PKR, he said, doesn’t ‘dangle’ things in front of the public, but will disclose wrongdoings that they have proof of.

“We cannot drama, he can,” sniped Rafizi.

Deepak, he said, does not own a monopoly on truth and news, and PKR can proceed on their own as their expose on the Boustead-LTAT deal involved information and documents from their own sources.

The carpet trader had hit out at Rafizi yesterday, accusing the latter of disturbing Deepak’s own expose and may be doing so for personal political gain.
                    
The LTAT-controlled Boustead move to acquire Deepak’s Astacanggih Sdn Bhd and plans to purchase a 223-acre plot of land from Raja Ropiaah’s Awan Megah courted controversy after claims were made that the deal was merely to silence the carpet trader and pay off the Selangor Wanita Umno leader.

Deepak has been on a crusade to expose what he claims to be shady dealing involving Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his family in a cover-up linked to the murder of Mongolian national, Altantuya Shaariibuu.

His revelations, he explained, came about after he claimed that Raja Ropiaah ‘cheated’ him out of his share of the 223-acre land.

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