Sabah & Sarawak News November 17, 2009 11:49 AM Sarawak To Get 1,500 Kilometers Of New Rural Roads Next Year SIBU, Nov 17 (Bernama) -- Contractors and suppliers in Sarawak have been told to be well prepared with funding, manpower, machinery and raw materials, as the Public Works Department (PWD) is to construct about 1,500 kilometers of new rural or village roads in the state next year. Works Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor gave this advice at a dinner organised by the Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB)with local contractors here Monday night. He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had stated that he wanted balanced development in all states in the country. "He is also giving special attention to Sabah and Sarawak.Both states have been given a bigger allocation for infrastructure development under the 2010 budget. Besides roads, there will be more water and power supply and housing projects for the poor.This will certaintly generate a great deal more opportunities and work for contractors as well as suppliers compared to previously," he said. Shaziman said the contractors should use their respective associations to talk to the PWD on the available opportunities. He however reminded them against not delivering on time or coming up with shoddy worksmanhip. "My Ministry will not hesitate to blacklist errant contractors, who despite all the consideration given, still fail to buck up. "When projects are not delivered on time or when the workmanship is very poor, it is the people who are let down,"he said. He also disclosed that the government had terminated the services of 35 contractors in 2008 and 80 so far this year. --BERNAMA