It would not surprise us at all if the recent news broken by fellow blogs C4.5 and Torture Watch in relation arbitrary arrests and torture by PWD workers is directly linked to Naim Holdings.
Equally concerning is how the government arm, the Public Works Department, that is mandated to carry out carry out routine and urgent maintenance and rehabilitation and upgrading works to all public buildings owned by Government, can afford to be outsourcing in this depressed economic climate.
Naim Holdings denies Fiji road project delays
FRANCIS C. NANTHA
Tuesday, November 15th, 2011 22:02:00
Naim Holdings Bhd has denied a newsreport from Fiji that its two road projects there have run into problems due to issues with suppliers.
When contacted, Naim head of construction and engineering Sivakumar Ramasamy was surprised by the Fijian newsreport as the firm’s subsidiary Naim Engineering Construction (Fiji) Ltd was ready to hand over one of its highway projects next month.
“We are scheduled to hand over the Kings Road from Waito to Wailatoa before Christmas to the Fijian Public Works Department (PWD) as the construction work has been completed and we’re now in the final housekeeping stages.”
The newsreport on the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation website quoted its Works Transport & Public Utilities divisional road engineer west, Apisai Ketenalagi, as saying Naim Engineering has encountered supplier problems, which is causing the delay.
"I think it is to do a lot with the supplier of their material that’s what they are having difficulty that’s basically affecting the implementation program," the Fijian engineer reportedly said.
Sivakumar refuted the claim. “When Fijian Minister for Works Transport & Public Utilities Colonel Timoci L Natuva visited the highway last month while I was there, he was very impressed with what Naim has accomplished with the local contractors.
“He said Naim had managed to complete what many previous contractors were unable to deliver, exceeding standards set by his ministry.”
Sivakumar also said there were no supplier problems as claimed by the newsreport as Naim operated its own quarry and premix plants in Fiji, which were set up by the firm and involved an estimated F$10 million (RM17.5 million) investment.
Further, he said Naim had exceeded the minimum 30% Fijian participation in the project as only 30 to 40 Malaysians were employed among the 250-odd staff involved in the project.
On the 106km Nadi Back Road currently being rehabilitated, which the newsreport said would be delayed as well, Sivakumar explained that only 50km had been handed over by the Fijian PWD so far under the contract.
“Work on the first 50km is being done in phases and the first three phases have been completed, with another few more than halfway done. We are waiting for the Fijian PWD to hand over the rest of the road for us to work on.”
The newsreport had stated that the US$40 million (RM million) project funded by the Export-Import Bank of Malaysia is to be completed in two years and was unlikely to be delivered by next August.
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