Putrajaya gets RM1.6b for projects
21 Jun 2006
Farrah Naz Karim
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PUTRAJAYA: It’s all systems go for Putrajaya as it received a RM1.6 billion shot-in-the-arm under the Ninth Malaysia Plan.
Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Samsudin Osman said the next few years would be exciting ones for the Federal Administrative Centre as it was set to undergo robust development.
"Putrajaya Corporation will be able to move fast (with development projects) under the 9MP. We have received a hefty sum to continue previously planned projects and the execution of new ones," he said after launching the inaugural 2006 Putrajaya International Marathon.
Asked if Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad’s allegation that the current administration had slowed down projects planned by the former prime minister, he said: "That is not the case. As you would know, the development of Putrajaya by the (Putrajaya) corporation has been rapid.
"The building of the (steel) mosque for instance, is already on-going."
Samsudin said progress of Putrajaya was also evident in the robust construction of housing projects for both private and public ownership.
"Putrajaya Corporation will be able to move fast (with development projects) under the 9MP. We have received a hefty sum to continue previously planned projects and the execution of new ones."
On the monorail project, he said the Economic Planning Unit was still reviewing the matter as it was a Federal project.
"There is hope that it can be revived... as residents of Putrajaya we are hoping for it.
"As president of PJC, I can say the corporation will definitely provide Putrajaya with a good public transportation system."
The Government announced the shelving of the monorail, one of Dr Mahathir’s pet projects, on June 8, 2004, due to a funding shortage.
It was to link several important landmarks like the Putrajaya International Convention Centre, the Putra Mosque and the government administrative complexes.
MTRANS Holdings Sdn Bhd, which won the concession to develop the system, had estimated the cost to be RM100 million per kilometre.
A PJC spokesman, when contacted, said it was allocated nearly RM1.6 billion by the Federal Territories Ministry for the development of the administrative capital.
Projects to be undertaken included the steel mosque, public parks and recreational facilities.
The budget however, did not include the revival of the monorail project.
"Most of the budget would go into projects under the Eighth Malaysia Plan which were not completed due to budget constraints."
The projects would be completed by the middle of next year.
Dr Mahathir, in alleging that development in Putrajaya had been stagnant after he left office, reprimanded the Government for using the excuse of being penniless "to stop many projects in Putrajaya".
He alleged recently that the Government had stopped the steel mosque project and shelved the monorail project although it had funds.
On another matter, Samsudin announced that names of several prominent landmarks in Putrajaya had been changed with immediate effect.
The Boulevard stretch is now officially known as Persiaran Perdana, the Promenade (a leisure spot near Dataran Putra), Sisiran Putrajaya.
The term "Precinct" to address the sections in Putrajaya has been retained.
