KUALA LUMPUR, April 4 (Bernama) -- Some of the mega infrastructure projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) may be broken into smaller contracts to be distributed evenly among small contractors to ensure their survival, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Tuesday.

He said he would discuss the matter with his ministry's secretary-general Datuk Syed Jamal Syed Jaafar and Public Works Department (PWD) director-general Tan Sri Dr Wahid Omar.

However, Samy Vellu could not name yet the projects that might be broken into smaller contracts.

"We want the small contractors to also benefit from the Ninth Malaysia Plan, not just the big contractors," the MIC president told reporters after resolving the problems of about 400 people who had turned up at his weekly meet-the-people session at the MIC headquarters here.

Last Saturday, the Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) had suggested that the allocation of mega projects should be broken into smaller contracts so that a wide group of contractors and sub-contractors registered with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) would benefit.

However, Samy Vellu said the government was unable to break all mega infrastructure projects into smaller contracts as the cost would increase.

"But, in bigger (mega) projects, there are many smaller projects like construction of sewerages, laying of cables, pipes and so on which can be distributed evenly among smaller contractors," he said.

He also said the PWD had come to a stage where these smaller projects would be given directly to the smaller contractors who would become sub-contractors.

"This is because there have been many cases where the main contractors failed or refused to pay the sub-contractors once they (sub-contractors) have completed their job," he said, adding that there have been instances where the sub-contractors were only paid 30 per cent and not the full amount.

As, such, said Samy Vellu, the PWD would pay the sub-contractors directly from the allocation for a particular project.

Samy Vellu also said the PWD would be strict in the awarding of contracts and only those with excellent track record would be picked for a particular job.

"We want contractors who can finish the job in time and according to the specifications," he said.

Samy Vellu also said there would be new rules in the implementation of the 378 infrastructure projects worth RM18.6 billion under the 9MP.

He cited three of the rules namely directing the PWD to monitor all projects at district and state level at all times; minister, deputy minister and parliamentary secretary of the Works Ministry to visit all project sites; and contractors to submit progress reports on their projects every three months.

"We will be hard on the contractors but we will also take into consideration their problems. But, the bottom line is, the work must be completed in time and be of high quality," he said, adding that his ministry would not compromise on this.

-- BERNAMA