Datuk Francis Harden Hollis
SRI AMAN: The new Sri Aman hospital project is not ‘sick’ as alleged but currently undergoing its Phase 1, said Simanggang assemblyman Datuk Francis Harden Hollis yesterday.
Reacting to allegations made by DAP Sarawak vice chairman Leon Jimat Donald, he said works to build the structure for the hospital would be tendered out soon.
He pointed out the project was still in its Phase 1 stage, involving earth filling, site preparation and time for the ground to settle.
“The allegations made by Leon are unfounded. What is happening now is that the earthwork on the project site is still ongoing,” said Harden, who is also Assistant Minister of Housing and Assistant Minister of Rural Development.
He was commenting on a recent news report in which Leon, who is also DAP Sri Aman branch chief, expressed his shock that nothing had changed at the project site almost three years since it was announced.
Leon alleged the site was apparently abandoned, judging by the condition of the gate into the area that had collapsed and the signage nearly covered by crawling vines.
Harden, who was challenged by Leon when defending the Simanggang seat in the 2011 state election, said what the DAP man was doing was just to seek cheap publicity and gain political mileage.
“He should do more research. The collapsed gate was caused by heavy vehicles from the developers,” he said.
“The tender documents should be issued in the early part of this year after the consultants from Kuching have arrived to check on the earthwork progress.”
The project costing RM200 million was among those announced for Sarawak during the walkabout by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in 2011.
Based on previous media reports, the project involves Phase I costing RM9 million and Phase 2 for the design and building of the structure.
The new hospital project was announced in response to the request from the people in Sri Aman to replace the present one, which had been operating since 1959 and could no longer cope with current demands.