MELAKA LITTLE INDIA RENOVATION WORKS

Wednesday October 12, 2011

Facelift works in Malacca’s Little India to be completed before Deepavali
By R.S.N. MURALI
murali@thestar.com.my


MALACCA: The Festival of Lights is set to shine brighter on the business community in Malacca’s Little India following the resolution of a controversy over its facelift works.

State Suburban Development and Agriculture Committee chairman Datuk R. Perumal said work on the site would resume and be completed before Deepavali, which falls on Oct 26.


“We have settled all the hitches surrounding the contractor’s ap pointment. Work has commenced and will be completed as scheduled,” he said in an interview here yesterday.

Dissatisfaction over the appointment had brought the RM2mil project, which was supposed to emulate Jonker Walk’s success, to a standstill for over a week.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam had directed Perumal to sort out the dispute over the appointment, which was made in September.

Perumal said although the disgruntled group accused the state of cronyism when it awarded the job to a reputable contractor here, the tender had gone through normal procedure.

“The selection board granted the job to only the qualified bidder without any favouritism,” he said, adding that the state government wanted to ensure that the project was implemented smoothly.

“We managed to explain the rationale for the appointment of that particular contractor to the unsuccessful bidders. Finally, it was accepted,” said Perumal, who is also state MIC chairman.

He said the state was stringent in awarding the job and some of those who bid for the contract did not even meet the requirements set by the tender board.

Perumal said the job involved designing and building as well as installing ornaments for the stretch from Padang Nyiru, and along Jalan Laksamana and Jalan Bunga Raya that was within Little India.

He added that the contract for the project was managed by the State Development Board on behalf of the Tourism Ministry.