The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has discovered that the government-owned Radio Television Malaysia’s (RTM) RM90 million integrated newsroom project is facing problems as it lacks the equipment required.

“The newsroom project is unsatisfactory because it did not adhere to project guidelines and did not meet the set objectives.

“The building is not being utilised for the purpose it was built for and is now being used as just an office space instead,” PAC chairperson Nur Jazlan Mohamed told reporters after a PAC meeting in Parliament today.

The Pulai MP explained that the 350,000 square feet seven-storey building at Angkasapuri (RTM’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur) had now been turned into an ordinary office as it has yet to be equipped with broadcasting facilities.

“I find it strange that they are applying for additional funding of RM125mil from the government for the purchase equipment only after the building is ready,” Nur Jazlan ( right ) said.

The project was completed and handed back to RTM by the contractors in 2012.

PAC also found discrepancies in the appointment of the project’s maintenance contractor as well as with the poor quality of the finished building.

Work quality unsatisfactory

He revealed that the main contractor JJ ActFast Development Sdn Bhd procured the contract through an open tender at the initial cost of RM90.58 million with the Federal Territory works department (JKR) director acting as the project’s enforcement officer.

Nur Jazlan said the contractor was approved by the communications and multimedia ministry despite the company failing to meet the requirements for technical aspects.

“The main contractor failed the second tier assessment that involved technical capabilities. But even though the contractor failed, the contract was given,” he said.

Nur Jazlan said it has become the norm for JKR to have quality issues with their construction projects, pointing out this has been highlighted frequently in government audit reports issued over the past couple of years.

“The quality of construction work is unsatisfactory [...] this is a very common problem that JKR faces,” he added.

RTM’s integrated newsroom project became a subject of a PAC probe after the Auditor-General’s Report 2013 highlighted several discrepancies in the project’s implementation.