Ministry explains why payment was held back to Sea Games contractor

By HAIKA KHAZI 

PUTRAJAYA: The sports ministry has held back a final RM40,000 payment to contractor Kuckreja & Co because they did not remove the rubber surface used for the indoor hockey event at last year’s Kuala Lumpur Sea Games (KL2017).
  Sports ministry chief secretary Datuk Lokman Hakim Ali said Kuckerja & Co were given a contract to install and later remove the indoor hockey pitch after the Sea Games at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC).
  "They refused to do it and asked that the final payment of RM40,000 be paid first," said Lokman.
  "The sports ministry did not do so as the final payment is only to be made once all work has been done in a satisfactory manner."
  Lokman pointed out that Kuckerja & Co's failure to clear the indoor hockey mat has also led to other contractors unable to remove their own equipment from MITEC. The ministry thus has no choice but to let other contractors remove the pitch.
  "As a result, six of the 28 rolls of the rubber surface were damaged. The remaining 22 rolls are in good condition and in storage at the ministry," added Lokman.
   "The ministry will deduct a part of the final payment to Kuckreja & Co as compensation."
   KL2017 Malaysian Organising Committee chief executive officer Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong declined to comment on the issue.
   Zolkples said the equipment and facilities used for KL2017 came under the purview of the facilities committee chaired by Lokman.
   On a separate note, Lokman explained that the delay in final payments to certain contractors for KL2017 was due to insufficient documentation from them.
   "The contractors have been asked to submit the documents. The payments will be made as soon as we receive them."