KUALA LUMPUR: Thirty-eight Public Works Department (PWD) projects worth RM2 billion are classified as “sick”, the Dewan Rakyat was told.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the projects were among 880 PWD projects currently under construction.
He said contracts for six of the 38 “sick” projects were in the process of being terminated.
“Overall, the trend of sick projects for 2026 shows a decline compared with the highest rate recorded in July, when 55 projects, or 6.51 per cent, were classified as sick,” he said.
As of Oct 31, the rate stood at 4.32 per cent.
Nanta was replying to Datuk Seri Sh Mohmed Puzi Sh Ali (BN-Pekan), who asked about the number and value of sick projects, the main causes of delays and action taken against contractors.
He said a project was classified as sick if it was delayed by more than 60 days or 20 per cent behind schedule, whichever came first, based on the timeline stipulated in the contract.
Nanta said the move to terminate contracts showed the government would not compromise with contractors who failed to fulfil their obligations.
He said 77 per cent of delays were due to weaknesses in contractors’ management, particularly ineffective planning and coordination at worksites, inadequate workforce management and poor handling of machinery and building material supplies.
The remaining 23 per cent were attributed to factors such as delays in relocating utilities, land acquisition issues, limited site access, material supply constraints and rising diesel prices.