Friday, July 10, 2009

UEM Group in the news yesterday


UEM Group mulls jobs in Vietnam, Cambodia

By Mustapha Kamil and Shahriman Johari
Business Times, Friday, July 10, 2009

UEM Group Bhd has been offered huge projects in Vietnam and is also mulling whether to accept a contract to build a bridge in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The projects in Vietnam are worth a "few billion US dollars", chairman Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Tajuddin Ali said in an interview in Kuala Lumpur recently.

They are in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, and work includes building an airport and a port.

"It's so big that we may have to rope in other Malaysian contractors," Tajuddin said.

The bridge project in Cambodia is worth about US$100 million (RM356 million) and UEM is in the final stages of evaluating the job.

Vietnam has been a favourite destination for Malaysian builders, with companies like SP Setia Bhd and Gamuda Bhd already having a presence as they seek to grow profits amid a slowing home market.

UEM Group has ventured abroad through its construction arm UEM Builders Bhd, mainly to countries like India and Qatar.

Tajuddin also said that UEM was confident of defending itself against a legal suit from the Qatar Public Works Organisation.

"We have received from the Qatari authorities the certificate of completion for the entire Salwa Road project. We have also got the extension of time for the job to January 31 2009," he said.

Because of this, UEM Group will not make provisions for the suit. At the same time, it also has a RM1 billion claim for work already done for the same project.

It is understood that the Qatar Public Works Organisation is seeking damages, reportedly about 878.3 million Qatari riyal (RM880 million), against design consulting engineer Parsons International Ltd, UEM and Qatar Insurance Co over work on the Salwa International Road.

UEM has been named as the second defendant in the suit, Tajuddin said.

Note: I knew it. I can feel it. Just as anticipated yesterday, I couldn't been able to sit down to write about the meeting. My appointment yesterday took me all the way till 11:00 pm and its a similar schedule today.
I am rushing to put up this posting as I try to avail myself somewhere for an early morning event. After that, the Friday prayers. A rush to Putrajaya for a late afternoon do. Then, back to the venue of the morning event.
Much regret.

In the meanwhile, read the above news clipping from Business Times yesterday. Tan Sri mentioned similar things to "A Voice" that morning. That must be the reason he looked calm and confident. When asked, "How big is your problem?", his answer was, "No. We do not have any problem."

I will share with you'll Monday la. Enjoy your SFA or at least, pretend to enjoy it. Have a good weekend.

83 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am disappointed that a seasoned professional like TS is not concerned when the signs are ominous i.e

1>>There are extensive failures of the pavements as reported in the Press.

2>>CPC issued probably on 31/1/2009 which means contract is still under Defects Period.Proving whether its design or construction issue is not too easy (read tooth2 comments )

3>>UEMB claims of RM 1 billion is indicative of cost overruns..even assuming the claims are inflated by 100%..there could be actual cost over runs of RM500m>>how much has actually been provided for in the accts?Now,UEMB is a private company thus it can be swept under the carpet.

4>> From cashflow angle there must still be monies (under contract)still unpaid ..which clients can drag as set offs for repairs etc..

A more rational approach I would expect from a man of TS calibre would be to state his utmost concern and of having taking steps in instituting proper investigations/studies...to ensure that the company's interest is protected technically and contractually...which are in process.

Maybe he's a good actor?

Anonymous said...

"It's so big that we have to rope in other Malaysian contractors"

Dont worry Tan Sri. u can always count of VENU's EKAR BINA. MnM, GLUKON BUILDERS..and the list goes on and on..to be ur subbies.
Other contractors jus careful la.U do UEM job nowadays,payment mana ada.Vomit blood oso u will not get paid.Except of course u go thro Venu.U wan his number?

Anonymous said...

Elooo..why don't UE work hard to complete watever projects u have here first,close the account,pay ur consultants,subcontractors,suppliers second & thirdly, cleanup the house! Bring back public confidence.Bring back the trust of our staffs.Bring back sanity to the organisation! Heads must be chopped off!!

After all that been done, then can talk about Vietnam ka,Cambodia ka,Addis Ababa ka or even Timbuktu for that matter. We will support u.

Otherwise, its no more than old cock old crab white haired sucker talk!

Anonymous said...

Lies, lies & more lies..

Billion dollar projects..cheh!!

Get Real la pleaseee..

Anonymous said...

Msian company exiting the Indo-China UEM is going in. If you think this country is easy meat to make money, think again! Pls study the culture, the law, the mafias etc etc not just the nightclub & happy joints. If u think ur tamil movie episode is bad, indo-china is Worst. Dont forget what UEM got to thro during Faber Sheraton time!

Anonymous said...

These Corporate chairmens of Kha kha kha kha zana breed semua pandai wayang... macam mentor dia juga....the black midas.
Biasalah, gaji buta.

Continue to expose them, people or better still ptuiii on them !!

Anonymous said...

AIYO braders... I feel sorry for our fellow Mercu-ans. We are being led by clowns who are also led by clowns. UEM mgmt + Khazanah = SARKAS!

While I'm hopeful that this Vietcong project is true, I don't believe that this will cure the real problem inherent in UEM.

UEM = COST OVERRUNS!

Anonymous said...

When u first broke the news about the rot in UEMGroup, soon after TA & Ridza left for Vietnam & Cambodia together with the free-loaders while Rahim Bakar & Suhaimi Halim to Sydney, Australia.

The story about what transpired in Vietnam is coming soon.

You can run but you can't hide!

Little Bird's Macai

Anonymous said...

Tan Sri please check the facts don't believe Ridza bullshit this is another drama of him, he manage to remove DAPS and he is lobbying with variuos group to be Group MD. kindly please check Ridza quite operation with few sub cons he is awrding job at lost of UEMB and behaving like saint. you are the latest victim of him, please go thru detail on Ridza's submission.

Anonymous said...

On 7th July 2009, Izaddin had his meeting/get together with MD's & CEO's of UEMGroup.

Can't tell much about what transpired in the meeting but the general feeling amongst the MD's & CEO's is curiousity. They were all curious how the man of the hour is going to be the "white knight" thats going to to turn around a double-digit billion ringgit losing concerned.

Bear in mind, Izaddin taiko upstairs has already made a couple of "possiblilities" in his speech at two occasions: at the Boustead-Mexican function & Invest Malaysia a week earlier.

One, Khazanah is slowly pulling out its investment in GLC's except power ie TNB. The second is selling of its non-core assets of the GLC's.

Against these backdrop I'm sure you can imagine what goes through these highly paid chief executives. Which non-core assets of the Group will be hive-off.

Is it going to be Faber Mediserve? The concsssion for the Hospital Support Services to Government Hospitals is expiring in 2011. They have submitted to MoH the revise rates. What will it going to be? Will the Govt extend our concession by another 5, 10 or 15 years? Or none at all. After all, Pantai Holdings is just around the corner! Khazanh might just swing the deal their way. Goodbye Faber Mediserve!

If Faber Mediserve is going to be sold to Pantai, what will happen to parent, Faber Group, listing status? My other asset is only less than 50 acres of land. Take it private?..again. Adding a few hundred millions more to Group's debt is chicken feed. Apa susah, duit bank pun. After all, 15B debt is sooo little wat..Kesian Adnan Botak..

Next non-core business..Pharmaniaga. Company jual ubat. Recently, received a new concession to supply medicine to the Government. Again, Pantai Holdings is the potential suitor.

CIMA, cement supplier. Maybe lelong to Tasek la.

Coming back to the meeting. Hand clap all around when it was announced that Ridza managed to secure th CoC & EOT from thr Qatari. When it comes to him, got to hand it to this actor. A real showman. He will tell tales so convincingly that I think Izaddin pum boleh kena jual. Kesian budak tu.!

There's lot more from the meeting but suffice for now. Later dude..

Inside Access

tooth-tooth said...

hmm last few week, hamad al thani coming here for what? ohhh to close the issue of UEM. How? Hehehe goverment to bear the cost. trading maaaa... no money just honey (steel, cement, food). How to pay back to goverment? UEM got to get some money loo... let them did what they want. Dont drag yourself with TA sweet word. Hmmm need to rope in somebody into the project.

A Voice said...

UEM Group is no more public listed company, thus no a need to make announcement to the Bursa anymore.

Anonymous said...

As comparison, MoF requires all its companies ie companies belonging to MoF Incorporated, return back to the money to the Government, a minumum of 10% of their paid-up capital every year.

Meaning which, if the company has a paid-up capital of RM200million, that company have to return back to the Government RM20million every year.

How much profits does the companies owned by Khazanah have to make?

In UEMG's case, Instead of making money, they are piling up debts!

So, Tan Sri, why dont you come clean & declare what is your actual losses. Be a gentleman that you are. No more with this in-denial syndrome, that's is plaqueing the Khazanah corporate boys. Just tell the public what's the damage!

Anonymous said...

Are u all not happy or at least pleased that Ridza has finally closed the Salwa Road issue & stop the suit?

Am I sensing a feeling of envy towards our MD? Jealous perhaps too that he has caught Izaddin's attention with his pro-active & swift actions?

Now maybe thats why his KPI is the highest among the other MD's. Pardas saw it. Pardas knew it. Izaddin is seeing it!

As I have said it before, Pardas & Ridza is the best pair. Ok, Pardas is gone. So..Ridza IS the best!

I say to all u Mohd Noor's boys, Halim boys, AWO's boys out there, learn to live with it. This is RIDZA's time. Get ur thumb out of your mouth. Stop sulking!

Anonymous said...

Tut-tut..

What is Hamid doing there? Lending a hand or making it worst? I suppose he wants some part in the "glory" too la kot.

tooth-tooth said...

yes a voice , uem is no more public listed company, so it a cover up right. No need to answer to rakyat. Anyway is it right about the pulling out Khazanah stakes from GLC's? GLC jual subsidaries for what? Cover their loss? Or bosses loss?

Anonymous said...

Hello Malaysian.. Check your facts. Look at the details of the Certificate of Completion & the Extension of Time. Do you think we Qataris are so stupid!

Anonymous said...

for heaven's sake, u buggers in uem have big balls and big heads to continue plundering the rakyat's coffers by taking on more and more high risk projects overseas when the existing or on-going projects in India and Middle East have yet to be resolved.
What are you trying to prove? Show us that you are capable of undertaking jobs on-time and making profits and stop hiding behind the GLC mask
God Almighty helps the Malaysian public from all the bleeding and scavenging actions by Khazanah and the GLCs

Anonymous said...

for heaven's sake, u buggers in url have big balls and big heads to continue plundering the rakyat's coffers by taking on more and more high risk projects overseas when the existing or on-going projects in India and Middle East have yet to be resolved.
What are you trying to prove? Show us that you have are capable of undertaking jobs on-time and making profits and stop hiding behind the GLC mask
God Almighty helps the Malaysian public from all the bleeding and scavenging actions by Khazanah and the GLCs

Anonymous said...

Tan Sri with all due respect, it is now an opportune time to save the sinking ship of the UEM Group. Kindly use your wisdom to guide the new CEO at helm and utilize the strengths of some reliable and dedicated staff remaining in the Group such as S Halim See Yin, Wan Dollah and Noorizah. You have lost many dedicated and capable staff but you must rebuild the team before you can even dream of venturing overseas Beware of those with ulterior motives and are hypocrtical in their behaviour. An example is the person who has brought the major contributor to the Group earnings in construction to a state of comatose. Rid the Group of all evils and bring back the lustre of the yesteryears of success
A former Director

Anonymous said...

Izaddin kesian engkau Si Ridza denga TS sudah bermula gambar Bollywood di Vientam dan Cambodia, Si Ridza akan jual kamu dengan menta-menta. Tetapi awak adalah hero dalam gambar ini tanpa tahu cerita sebenarnya, Si Ridza bodoh dengan Thomas Simon yang pandai putar buku account UEM akan memberi keuntungan yang tidak ada. Izadin engkau kena jaga-jaga dengan si Ridza itu. Sekarang dia lobby untuk mendapat Pemgarah Kumpulan dengan janji-janji kosong. Saya dengar cerita si Ridza yang tangungjawab keatas projek di Qatar tetapi dia cuba menuduh orang lain.

Anonymous said...

Figure this out about the so-called HUGE PROJECTS in VIETNAM and CAMBODIA:

A FRIEND of Tan Sri Tajuddin Ali knows an AGENT who knows a CONTRACTOR who was awarded "few billion US dollars" to design and build and finance these so-called prestigious projects!

By the way, Tan Sri..I think you missed out mentioning about the condo tower in Ho Chi Minh.

Ridza, sensing that this latest "adventure" overseas can save his job, despatch his team which includes the "usual suspects" to "study" & "evaluate" and "massage" these projects. This was about 2 weeks ago.

Ridza has been advised that such a venture is high risk. Even Rahim Bakar told Ridza to be careful.

In some of these projects, even the client-developer is raising concerns about the ability of the main contractor to raise finance.

Mind you, UEMG is only a SUB-contractor in all this projects.

So much for Vietnam. The projects in Cambodia was also introduced by Tan Sri's friends. Similar issues.

It has con-job written all over it.

Little Bird

Anonymous said...

Saidin Salim is keeping the contents of the CoC and EoT in his pants. Which means Saidin goreng Ridza, Ridza goreng Rahim Bakar, Ridza goreng Izaddin. Because, Saidin "supposedly" hand-picked by Ridza to be solving this problem. "Supposedly" means to cuci mangkuk la.Cover the track for Ridza.

Now, sapa ini Saidin Salim. So, new MD, please take note ok. Don't tell me you don't respek views in the alternative media? Even PM acknowledges (SOME) the contents in the blog, ESPECIALLY THIS BLOG!

Saidin Salim (SS) was formerly the Head of Contracts on the LRT project that Ridza was the boss. Remember one commentator wrote "about buses on track" among Ridza's great achievement in PUTRA? U can hear Saidin's hands, leg, balls clapping for Ridza back then until now.

After LRT, SS came back to OPUS. But Suhaimi Halim sideline him. And when Ridza became MD of Builder, SS star shines again

So now, after paid holidays is ME, SS is the Director of Contracts and Procurement of UEMB as well as the CEO of UEMC.

He is also the lead guitarist of the bandboys AND the SFA director.

IF, MACC, we know you are monitoring this issue on UEMG, you should zoom into Saidin. I think in 30 minutes he'll sing like a canary.

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:12 am

Can Hardy perform now that Laurel is gone?

Zeez mate..u got @#$% for brains or what? All Ridza did was to go to Qatar and collect the Certificates! I bet it's only for Phase 2. Do you think the Qatari's will let UEMG off the hook that easy? Common la..

If u must know, using ur relationship with Hilal as ur ticket out of this mess, it's useless. We know you told everybody that needs to be told, that u and Hilal are on good terms. In reality, which is on the contrary! Hilal hates your gut!!

So get a dose of reality. Ridza is misleading and lying to you guys.

After all, that is what he is really good at.

Anonymous said...

UEMG have got no game plan in defending the suit. It's all InsyaAllah!

Anonymous said...

1. What does "mulling" means? You & your highly paid MD not sure whether to take up this project OR you & your PR department trying to do a fast one on us?

2. I for one, is more inclined to believe the latter. These past months UEMG has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Mainly due to the expose in this blog. What you arr trying to do is inform the public that UEMG is not going south but rather going north. But dont you think you are going over-board with "billions of US dollars" project claim? Do you realized how much would that be in their local currencies? We are more convinced if you were to say few hundred millions ringgit.

3. Are you trying to convince your bankers that UEMG is still bankable? I'm sure you knew that as it is now, UEMG is living on borrowings. Word has it that very soon your bankers wil be recalling your loans. HSBC (Qatar) has already frozen your QR400m loan for the Salwa Road Project. It's only QR300m left to be paid as QR100m paid recently have been off-set by HSBC. But, UEMG need not worry because your loan from HSBC is guaranteed by Maybank.

4. Are you trying to convince your bankers to give you more money? We know that you are leveraging the Letter Of Intent you received from the Govt for the Penang 2nd Bridge as a collateral for a RM1.2 Billion loan. You did that against the advise of some concerned quarters in UEMG of the risk involvedd as its only a Letter of Intent and NOT a Letter of Award. However, the pressure from Ridza & the man resposible for loan is CFO, Thomas Simon is too much for u. Would you, Tan Sri, approve this suicidal act when you were heading TNB? What if, God forbid, the Govt did not issue UEMG the Letter of Award? Too many risks, wouldn't you say so?

5. Finally, what about the privatisation exercise that was pushed through in a rush? Why the rush, Tan Sri? What are you trying to cover-up? How much does this cost the tax-payers? Is it RM1B or RM5B? Is it true that you buckled under the pressure from the other MD's to consider taking other companies private too? So, Tan Sri, please tell us all the truth. How much did you ACTUALY spend on the privitisation exercise?

Little Bird

Anonymous said...

1. What does "mulling" means? You & your highly paid MD not sure whether to take up this project OR you & your PR department trying to do a fast one on us?

2. I for one, is more inclined to believe the latter. These past months UEMG has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Mainly due to the expose in this blog. What you arr trying to do is inform the public that UEMG is not going south but rather going north. But dont you think you are going over-board with "billions of US dollars" project claim? Do you realized how much would that be in their local currencies? We are more convinced if you were to say few hundred millions ringgit.

3. Are you trying to convince your bankers that UEMG is still bankable? I'm sure you knew that as it is now, UEMG is living on borrowings. Word has it that very soon your bankers wil be recalling your loans. HSBC (Qatar) has already frozen your QR400m loan for the Salwa Road Project. It's only QR300m left to be paid as QR100m paid recently have been off-set by HSBC. But, UEMG need not worry because your loan from HSBC is guaranteed by Maybank.

4. Are you trying to convince your bankers to give you more money? We know that you are leveraging the Letter Of Intent you received from the Govt for the Penang 2nd Bridge as a collateral for a RM1.2 Billion loan. You did that against the advise of some concerned quarters in UEMG of the risk involvedd as its only a Letter of Intent and NOT a Letter of Award. However, the pressure from Ridza & the man resposible for loan is CFO, Thomas Simon is too much for u. Would you, Tan Sri, approve this suicidal act when you were heading TNB? What if, God forbid, the Govt did not issue UEMG the Letter of Award? Too many risks, wouldn't you say so?

5. Finally, what about the privatisation exercise that was pushed through in a rush? Why the rush, Tan Sri? What are you trying to cover-up? How much does this cost the tax-payers? Is it RM1B or RM5B? Is it true that you buckled under the pressure from the other MD's to consider taking other companies private too? So, Tan Sri, please tell us all the truth. How much did you ACTUALY spend on the privitisation exercise?

Little Bird

Anonymous said...

Imagine this. Go to pizza hut or any restaurant. Pick your choice and specify what you want. While you eat, you find it in bad quality. What you do?

1.Continue eating?
2.Ask them to change for a new one?
3.Order more food?

After you finish eating all you want and doing all the choices above, what you need to do? Complaint that the first food is not good. Then refuse to pay. Not only that, you make the restaurant to pay you (through the court).

You can do that especially if the restaurant is located in a building that you own and after sending two consultants to supervise the job.

Welcome to Qatar! Who says they are so stupid?

Anonymous said...

Hey all!

"Don't judge a person by/through a blog"

You might get it wrong and make it worst!

Please be professional and not let emotions get involved.

by Mr.CON-sultant.

Anonymous said...

Two years ago, Khazanah did try to sell UEMB to, not one but two Indian companies. First suitor is SATYAM & the other one is TATA. Khazanah had several meetings with Satyam in Dubai & Tata in S'pore. The selling price was in the region of RM100-120m.
With Satyam they want to changed name from UEM to MAYTAS, its Satyam spelt backwards.
However, after DD, both Indian backoff. I think both Indian saw their owm Vadey & Maruku companies doing much better than UEMB, and costing much less too.
Lucky thing for UEMB oso. We all knew what happened to Satyam.UEMB accounting oso similar to Saytam.
If TATA deal goes thro, Ridza will be driving the trailer, Saidin become bus driver & Thomas Simon bus conductor! As for Jenderal Tan, he's too short to wipe the front screen, maybe can be the flag man la..hehe
As for Tan Sri.. We can only hope, for his sake, he will not follow the footsteps of Hassan Kendut, UEMG former chairman. All alone & a forgotten man! That's what happened to Chairman that fallen to wayside.

Anonymous said...

What do u expect from an electrician pretending to run a construction company? Same goes to Izaddin. A former no 2 in a electrical company that lose money year in year out & also like to blame everybody except himself. Wake-up la people! U think its easy to run company like this? Both Tan Sri & MD! U guys only have to deal in electrical la now diversified conglemerate.Bole ka? Human management! Not your strongest point! Get real!!

Anonymous said...

Is anyone still clapping their hands after reading these comments???

Anonymous said...

The MD of Syarikat Perumahan Negara (SPNB), Datok Mohd Amin Salleh was sacked from his job effective 1July 2009. It all started from comments appearing from blogs like this.

One fine day after his meeting in Putrajaya, he was stopped from boarding a flight at KLIA, by the officers from MACC. His office in Bangunan MAS was ransacked & later in the evening his house too. All his top generals was questioned for hours & hours & it wasnt long before they start talking. Soon, its the end of the road for him.

The MD of PBLT has also been given the sack. His fate is not yet known.

So Datok Shukri Abdull..we think you have enough imformation to start your investigation into the corrupt practices and the abuse of power of this Government appointees.

By the way, Amin of SPNB is staring at 20 years in jail. Anyone in UEMG wants to join him?

Do not underestimate the power of the bloggers & the comments in here. Do not say that you have not been warned!

Anonymous said...

Anon 9.12am

Waloweh! From duet dah jadi solo ya!

Rentak gitar dia dah lagi rancak main solo ya???

Dulu cakap best pair in the world, sekarang dah jadi best single in town.

Hang ni otak tak centre lah. suck thumb...jangan kata kata suck suck ni...bahaya nya

So saya ni suspeck dulu depa dua tu best pair, siapa yang buat blow job??

kha kha kha ......za NAH (jari tengah di tunjukkan)

Anonymous said...

The fact that a suit is now hanging over the head of UEM would imply a contingent liability will have to be declared against UEM

Tha fact that UEM has been named as defendent is testimony that the relationship between the Client and UEM is not rosy and something has gone seriously wrong

The fact that UEM is not going to make any further provision is suspect and I hope UEM's auditor's Ernst & Young can comment on this

The fact that UEM is being sued means that all proceeds and accounts in Qatar is frozen and this would have an impact on UEM's financial facilities in Malaysia

The fact that the Supplementary Agreement that could have protected UEM was not signed and the sufferings by all could have been avoided

The fact that all these things are happening must at least tickle some in Mercu UEM and in Khazanah as one would expect the least.

Being confident is one thing, being practical and effective in overcoming this issue is another.

I wish Tan Sri good luck in your endeavours to ovecome this predicament brought about by a team of incompetent people.

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:12am

Since Ridza has gone solo..and his story is hotter than Micheal Jackson..So what shall we call his solo act? Mangkuk Jackson???

Anonymous said...

1>UEMB is not listed thus no issue on announcements..thus,we will not be privy to any further news unless Khazanah wants it announced.

2>TS Tajuddin is non executive and is not really empowered to make changes to the mgmt team.Primarily its Khazanah that decides.

3>Ridza have met his KPIs..so for whatever that's worth,it will be dicey to unseat him.A suit,delayed projects etc can always be explained away if the bosses are still favorably disposed to believe.

4> The new UEMG MD will need time to make balanced judgement..there are other pressing issues within the organisation that he needs to address.Contracts/Construction is not his forte thus its a steep learning curve.

5>The Khazanah team has little or no real hands on construction experience and can provide very little support to the new UEMG MD.

So,in a nutshell Ridza got plenty of time before judgement day.

Anonymous said...

How to profit from building your own house (or a road to your house).

Another scenario. I want a house. I get a consultant to design the house. Then, I get approval. Next, I get a contractor to build the house. Then, keep changing the specifications and design during construction until it failed. I ask contractor to re-do until it is finished. After that, don't pay the contractor and designer. Instead, sue them for wrong design and failing to give good advice. I should be able to make profit and get the house for free.

AM I STUPID? No.

Please believe that I am not a con person. I am a humble rich "brother" of yours (that is now broke) trying to stay rich at the expense of others.

Can u contractors kindly pay yourself for the work that you have done and better still, if you can consider it as a charity to me.

Please continue to quarrel and blame yourself and blame each other.

I am very happy and I really enjoy staying in my new wonderful completed house.I will still try to get you to give me some extra money to support my luxury life style through the court.

Sounds familiar. Welcome to Qatar!

SMART QATARI

Anonymous said...

Smart Qatari,
I Salute You!
For a small country of 0.2mil people to con a nation of 27mil, you are damn good.
I presume it was like stealing lollipop from a baby, especially when UEM construcion team was led by a Jack Welch trainer, a master of deception and escape artist aka conman Abodoh, a sleepy shiok sendiri SS & a commander-in- chief ammo-tan!

Kha...kha...kha...naimah

tooth-tooth said...

ehemmm... tukar suara sikit. let talk about UEM in 2009.... hehehe sejarah sikit. Last few month "someone" in safety department being order to resign due to PLUS incident. Than kita dengar fasal nak jual PLUS Hiway dengan nilai rm4 billion. UEM ada 60% stake. Wowww lama dulu tu... hehehe apa barang baru nak kecoh fasal Khazanah nak reduce stake dalam glc's sekarang ni? Dia dah bagitahu last few month sebelum hamad al thani datang lagi. Semua dah atur perrr... nak tutup lobang.. korang baru nak gaduh kerr.. sekarang nih UEM kena go on sendiri la... kan dia ada bid untuk wilayah iskandar, tapi kena reject... it one of the .... hehehe common la guy... let them survive... cian looo.. kena jual almost everything just to cover their lost.. hemmm cover sapa? UEM? No larrr... cover the bosses. now UEM kena la pepandai sendiri kan... nanti kita talk-talk lagi... oh pada kawan yang pepandai nak sms advise kunun tu.. sorry... kita ada agreement, just follow ok. lagi pun aku revealed to you dari januari 2009 lama dulu... baru jerr reveal dalam blog nihhh

Anonymous said...

SFA - the most feared words in Builders

It stands for Saturday For All, a brainchild of the MD....

yes it brainwashes you too!

Led by a team of loyalist Jamaliah Wan Chik and her merry tema of boys and girls, they go on a rampage of tearing into your hearts and minds, forcing you to bare all...your personal problems, social problems, etc so that they can connect with you... or maybe konek you

To the staff, it is prying into their private affairs and matters

To the SFA staff, it's a joy to watch adults cry and turn into a pulp filled with pity and suffering. By exploiting the weak, the objective is to brainwash them and making them part of the MD's family of care and joy

To reward the SFA staff, they can get to enjoy reward schemes such as the Real Rewards or Bonus Link points, entitling them to cash rewards.

For the faithful ones, they can upgraded into the centre core of loyalist group close to Ridza and be part of his entourage wherever he goes. To India, To Qatar, To Gold Coast, To Ho Chi Minh....

For the privileged ones, they can to go on shopping extravaganza to Bandung, Greece, Italy, Dubai ....

For MACC to catch them is going to be a challenge, they have hidden trails very carefully using travel agents that are not normally used by the company, purchases are thru credit cards etc..go ask JWC

So if you wish to enjoy the perks and benefits of UEMBuilders, join SFA....Saturday Fcuk All yeh !

Anonymous said...

Tan Sri,

The Govt is going to announced the KRA and KPI teh cabinet ministers and ministries.

Please elaborate what the KPIs and the KRAs of your Group of companies especially UEMBuilders who appears to be a hiding under the sarung of the de-listed entity.

Anonymous said...

Do you know why Ridza in an "untouchable"?

No he is not Brahmin

He holds the key to the secrets of the treasure chest at Putrajaya

check it out.. P2X

so we can understand why poor Tan Sri, Rahim Bakar and now Izzaddin will have to smile and sit pretty listening to the songs played by the band boys

Anonymous said...

Heard that Ridza will be retained as UEMB MD for next 3 years and appointed to UEMG Mgmt Board as construction adviser?

Thus,all the rantings on this blog are merely from the frustrated few who didn't make the cut.

Plain Talker

Anonymous said...

If everything goes as planned, under the re-structuring plan, Opus will merge with UEMBuilder in August or September of this year. The MD of the Opus Builder is Suhaimi Halim.

But that looks to change now. Datok Ridza will be the MD of Opus Builder!!

Anonymous said...

So Suhaimi will be reporting to Ridza?Or is Suhaimi on the way out.

Ridza is the better manager with his vast knowledge,expertise and experience and he truly deserve the promotion.

He is recognized and already given a Datokship whereas Suhaimi is unknown.

Its good for the country that Khazanah can see real talents i.e separates the wheat from the chaff.I see great things for Ridza and will not be surprised if he is offered CEO position in IJM,Gamuda or even the international construction giants.

After all he has in just three years turn around UEMB from a troubled company into a global giant. Syabas Dato Ridza.

Plain Talker

Anonymous said...

Lets recognise Ridza achievements;

1>He removed all the negative spoilt brats and replaced with honest,hardworking people working as a TEAM.
2>Qatar/India>>using his vast knowledge of Contract Law..he trapped the clients in a way that leaves them no option but to give EOT and later on pay the claims i.e RM 1 billion from Qatar and few hundred from India.He has also cultivated strong relationships by networking..something previous MD fail to do.
3>PLUS/Penang Bridge widening>>He used innovative construction methods and well organised construction mgmt and SAVED millions from original budget.
4>>P2X> He brought in Taib and they both worked singlehanded to redesign the bridge..saving 200 million,Further,Ridza and Taib designed the precast factory from scratch and did all the EPC..saving millions in fees and coming up with the most efficient factory at lowest cost.Even the Chinese Contractor was amazed with the design and cost with savings of 30m.It seems the Chinese is doing replica of the factory for their new project in China,
4.New projects>>his business development acumen is demonstrated with in coming jobs worth billions in Saudi,Kuwait,Singapore and locally.

Finally,the most important aspect is his honesty,hard work and ethics have filtered down to all staff and this can be seen by the TEAMWORK that is producing top notch,high productivity and excellence in all work areas.
Truly an achievement..SYABAS.

Plain Talker

Anonymous said...

Anon 11:07 AM

What will happen to Suhaimi Halim then? Somewhere else another Anon said he was one of the few remaining reliable old staff.

Anonymous said...

The new MD of UEMG must take the bulls by the horn to stem the tide of deterioration with the Group

As a senior staff in one of the operating companies, I appeal to Dato' Izzaddin to open your eyes and not fall trap to the sweet temptations and hypocrisy of some of your current MDs of the operating companies. They have different agendas for self enrichment and they will do all it takes to jockey or consolidate themselves into a position of power and strength.

Some will go to the extremes of even covering up issues and problems of the past by passing these over as legacy issues, etc

Now is your chance to flush out and rid off the bad apples in the basket. Make the right choice and the staff will support your efforts.

Anonymous said...

Tan Sri,

Blog ni dah ada banyak cerita mengenai MD UEMB dan anak anak syarikat yang amat membimbangkan.

Kami harap Tan Sri akan memberi perhatian yang sewajar nya meneliti isu isu yang telah di pamerkan di blog ini untuk kepentingan masyarakat dan kerajaan

Terima kasih

Staff UEM

Anonymous said...

If ridza becomes the md of opus builder..a lot of good people will leave Grp. I urged izaddin to follow exco decision & dont succumb to ridza's bodeking & lies!

kuldeep said...

So..wise heads prevail and everything is back on track.

The "blogging" feedback is a wonderful mechanism but eventually its the guys with the real facts that can make the best decisions.

Anonymous said...

Tut tut,
merger of Opuem Builders will make the engineering & construction a stronger entity , an EPCC. For the lay person, it combines the strong project management outfit with the hard core construction unit.

A good and supportive idea but its success will hinge on the man at the helm and his key management team. Hollywood actors and the Saddam Hussein's and his seven dwarfs will not be cut for the job. If D Izaddin thinks otherwise then Opuem Builders first venture overseas should be Afghanistan where opuim comes cheap and everyone will be high and happy. Hidup SFA!

tooth-tooth said...

waa bagus gak nih... burung kakaktua turn to be OPEUM MD. Congrate to him ... hehehehe

Anonymous said...

Plain Talker!

Obvoiusly u didn't know the real and what a great bloke Suhaimi Halim is!!!

Simplistic, creative and very effective in his thought processes is SH's strongest assets. If got opportunity, go and check this man's signature....a 'kapal layar' for it is well known in the UEM Group.....such a captivating mark!!!!

Boss, always admire your traits and qualities, and cherished the experience of working for u!!!! Left the group now but never in the mind and heart......

and this once fine group of UEM will not be in this such mess if they listen more to honest people like u...

And Boss, u dont need a Datuk for me to say all this about u....just being a Suhaimi Halim will do....

May Allah bless U....

Anonymous said...

Plain Talker,

You must be from the outer space and do not have your feet on the ground.

I pity you and the UEMB staff.

-Plain Observer-

Anonymous said...

Plain Observer...

Instead of making simplistic comments..repudiate my points with facts..i don't talk rubbish like most Anti Ridza but gave reasons point per point.

Its disastrous if the country loses a guy of Dato Ridza pedigree due to baseless rumor mongering.

Anonymous said...

Plain Talker,

I do not intend to go into mud-slinging or character assasination. As a observer of the construction industry, first and foremost, in my view, UEM Builders is not a global giant, not even a regional giant. I am not sure how you did your benchmarking when UEMB performance and orderbook cannot even match IJM, Gamuda, Ranhill or WCT. I do not think IJM or Gamuda would want to offer your beloved MD the CEO position in their companies. They have their own succession planning and why would they want to take someone from an inferior company.

BTW, receiving a Datukship currently is not a measurement of someone's talent. FYI, there are Ah Longs or underworld kingpins who are Datuks as well. Your mindset about this is really laughable.

For Qatar/India, how much new orderbook do UEMB has managed to secure in 2009? My sources informed me it is ZERO. So, what strong relationships by networking has been cultivated by your MD?

PLUS/Penang Bridge widening: I was told the projects were delayed. So what kind of innovative construction methods and well organised construction mgmt was used?

P2X: The concession has been cancelled and UEMB is only asked to do package 2 only. It was GOM who asked for the redesign of the bridge because the high costs and inpractical to have viewing decks.

New projects: where are the new projects? Apart from P2X and a small part of the Pahang-Selangor water transfer, where are the billion dollar jobs. Even the Medini job has gone to WCT. You should read the newspaper. UEMB which is indirectly owned by Khazanah cannot even clinch the Medini jobs. Something must be terribly wrong with UEMB.

What productivity are you talking about when most of your jobs are behind schedule? My industry sources said the IJN, IBS in Putrajaya and even your own building are late.

From analysing your previous annual reports, I think without the Highway Maintenance (Propel) and Penang Bridge toll concession, UEMB will be a lost making construction company.

Common Plain Talker, you know the truth. Perhaps you are just a talker but cannot walk the talk. Enough of talking. Get down to work....DELIVER! We, Rakyat, are just bored with all these.

-Plain Observer-

Anonymous said...

Hey plain observer,

u must be plain stupid !

You must be on Ridza's payroll

kah kah kah

Anonymous said...

Anon 6:55 PM, you said:
Hey plain observer,

u must be plain stupid !

You must be on Ridza's payroll
=================================

Are you addressing your comments to Plain Talker or Plain Observer?

Plain Talker is the one who is praising Ridza whilst Plain Observer is the one who has logically analysed the UEMB annual report and pointed out that Plain Talkers points have no basis. So how can Plain Observer be on Ridza's payroll? or are you just plain confused?

Anonymous said...

Good answers Mr Plain Observer but obviously you have little appreciation of the complexities of the construction business.

1>>Ridza inherited the problem jobs in PLUS,IJN,Qatar etc..his innovative and hands on approach saved the day and turned red ink into profits.
2>>The projects were all delayed but he removed all the non performers and brought in the right team and henceforth all projects were zooming...faster progress than ever before in the history of UEMB..even faster than the halcyon days of TS Halim.And the icing is that he does it with 20% less cost.
3>>P2X..its not the viewing platforms that saves money but pure hard nosed engineering..using his vast knowledge of finite analysis he worked through the night and came up with RM 200 millions savings in materials..find me another CEO who can do that?Krishnan Tan of IJM?Taing of WCT?..no way brother.
4>>P2X is Ridza's baby from day one..he conceived the project.And you cannot even appreciate the fantastic production facilities that he and Taib (just 2 guys burning the mid night oil)designed,specified and constructed in RECORD time.Thats a complicated piece of work that only a genius can deliver.
5> Book orders...just wait for few more months and all will be revealed..the ground work is done n just waiting for final signature>>the order books will dwarf all local companies and project UEMB into one of the world's largest global construction company.

You people can only criticise..but you have no information..no hard facts.Ridza have completely transformed UEMB and I would place him as the best manager in the world on par with Jack Welch with the further special engineering skills and know how equivalent to the world's best designers.

Truly an icon.

Plain Talker

Anonymous said...

"Ridza have completely transformed UEMB and I would place him as the best manager in the world on par with Jack Welch"?????????


singger, snigger, snigger.....

Not from what i've heard from HQ, etc

Anonymous said...

I am not surprised that u snigger,snigger...cos ur minds are closed..and so are those HQ guys you get information from.

Its typical that people cannot accept that a Malay can do better then a Non-Malay or excel to global standards.Ppl still want to think only non Malays or Mat sallehs are smart..Malays are just lazy and stupid.Sad to say..a lot of Malays also subscribe to this.

But,be open and you will begin to see and realise what a diamond Pardas have unearth in the shape of Ridza.For watever mistakes Pardas hv done can be atoned by his singular inspiration of giving Ridza to UEMB.In fact he should be CEO of Khazanah.

Anonymous said...

kenapa kau orang asyik pasal orang Melayu jer... kenapa kau tak citer pasal2 Cina2 dalam UEM yang banyak buat tahi kat UEM mcm SGT, JW, SCH etc....

Kau ingat dia orang ni bagus sangat ke... mcm SGT... bukan kau tak tahu dia nye hal...

SCH renovate banglo dia RM100+++ free of charge.. sapa yang buat...?

Ade tu Architectural coodinator... entah ape yang dia buat... kita tanye pasal isu2 arkitek mcm tanye kt dinding... gaji mahal nk mampus... dok opis bukak laptop tengok share market tiap2 hari...

UEM mcm dokong biawak hidup...

Dia orang ni bila masuk MD baru, periuk2 nasi dah tertutup... tak puas hati bukak lah hal-hal UEM kat blog mcm balas dendam...

Anonymous said...

Tayangan ini sangat hebat - siapa tu SGT, JW dan SCH?

Anonymous said...

"Tayangan ini sangat hebat - siapa tu SGT, JW dan SCH?"

Now no more Ridza issues cos everyone truly convinced that he is the true genius..and the man who saved UEMB.Thats why I have to elucidate clearly and with facts...not just hearsay and bullshit information.

And now the focus is the reality..

"Dia orang ni bila masuk MD baru, periuk2 nasi dah tertutup... tak puas hati bukak lah hal-hal UEM kat blog mcm balas dendam..."

So Plain Observer..GAME OVER for u?

Anonymous said...

Plain Talker = Ridza!

Desperado ke bang?

Anonymous said...

The reality is Ridza is no more than just an actor, a master of deception and a politician.

Facts?? Who are u trying to kid? Maybe he is good at covering his money trails. Maybe he's superb at the blame game. But, maybe..just maybe..NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!

What goes around comes around. Maybe some of the invoices, cheques that surprisingly flew out of the office will jolt his memory!!

Then we will see whether he's still claiming P2X is his story!

Little Bird

Anonymous said...

Plain Talker,

kau ni dari outer space kah?!

Itu P2X project dari dulu 2000 UEM dah masuk proposal ke kerajaan. Itu Ridza di mana? Come on brother, kalau nak klentong orang, check lah facts engkau ni

Team Ridza dah save RM200mil dari precast factory? Betul kah? Burung2 dalam Builders dah lapurkan IRR utk precast yard pun tak sampai 3%. Lagi pun Builders kena tipu helah oleh pemilik tanah asal bila dijualkan tanah untuk pecast yard. Dengar cerita2 itu mould2 yang di belikan tidak ikuti spesifikasi. CHEC....hahaha siapa nak tipu siapa ni!!!!

Kalau nak challenge lagi, jawab lah kenapa 5 biji gantry crane yang baru boleh runtuh ketika musim hujan tahun lalu? Builders ni nak jimatkan wang RM200mil hingga membeli alat jentera yang rendah kualiti nya???

Smooth Talker

Anonymous said...

Smooth Talker,

I think its humbling to have to reply to a complete ignoramus..but in the interest of justice I have no choice.Its obvious that ST is a complete dumbo and with no reliable info source..most probably he is one of those frustrated office boys who found themselves to be outcast due to poor performance.Anyway,here goes;

1>>Savings of RM200 mil is on actual bridge and not precast yard.Anyone but an illiterate person would have understood wat was written.
2>>Altho project was mooted in 2000,it was 100 % due to Ridza's incredible networking..that UEM finally secured the job.Past MDs have failed to present a complete package of technical and commercial excellence.
3>>The cranes purchased is the TOP global brands..Ridza refused to compromise on cheaper brands.The specs was exacting and top rated.Ridza astute negotiations forced the companies to give massive discounts which surprised even the local agents.The toppled crane was during erection/construction >and again due to Ridza's foresight UEMB got full compensation and new cranes as a result.That demonstrates Ridza's greatness i.e when it gets tough he will be out in front leading the charge AND winning,
4>>IRR of 3%...complete nonsense as its a PROJECT yard i.e to supply to P2X thus no one does IRR..it shows how stupid ST is????FYI..UEMB gets a free state of the art yard after P2X worth millions..ST shld kiss the ground Ridza walks on.
5>>Conned by landowner??Hahaha..landowner is State of Penang..and Ridza was smart to get 50% discount from the official valuation...on completion of the bridge that land is worth at least 15 times more!!!ST you don't even deserve to kiss Ridza feet..u are too dumb to know greatness when u see it.

SO..anymore questions?Lets talk facts ..if you don't know shit about it..just crawl back into the hole u came out from.

TQ

Anonymous said...

Increment OK bang...??? Toksah lebih-lebih la buka aib orang... pikirlah dapur tu berasap ke tak..???

Anonymous said...

A Voice.. plz maintained your blog's integrity.

small people talk about other people, medium people talk about things and big people talk about other.

this lil bird nih mana brani keluar nama or have a meeting with corporate ladder.

hes credential is questionable. what is his proof other than saying board going to australia la, sued by qatar la, n other unprofessional comments.

im sorry, but ur not tat gud. dun play god. u can always submit ur dillusion perception to MOF ka, SC ka, or better go with A Voice and had meeting with the board. when they r free of course.

i mean, this lil bird of yours sound frustrated. maybe, A Voice should start to learn about people's language.

internal politics of corporate or issues should be handled carefully. so does the country.

its easy to look great on website but when come to meeting time, this lil bird is just a lil bird??

uem staff

Anonymous said...

A Voice.. plz maintained your blog's integrity.

small people talk about other people, medium people talk about things and big people talk about ideas.

this lil bird nih mana brani keluar nama or have a meeting with corporate ladder.

hes credential is questionable. what is his proof other than saying board going to australia la, sued by qatar la, n other unprofessional comments.

im sorry, but ur not tat gud. dun play god. u can always submit ur dillusion perception aka complaint to MOF ka, SC ka, or better go with A Voice and had meeting with the board.(go official if you faham la..)

i mean, this lil bird of yours sound frustrated. maybe, A Voice should start to learn about people's language.

internal politics of corporate or issues should be handled carefully. so does the country.

its easy to look great on website but when come to meeting time, this lil bird is just a lil bird??

uem staff

Anonymous said...

plain talker,
u sepatut masuk balik lubang gelap outer space.

Mana Ada GLC yg buat investment dan perolehi IRR tv rendah? Lebih baik simpan wang di FD. Mana ada GLC yg beri timbangan sepenuhnya atas spekulasi harga tanah utk keuntungan? Jangan lah tipu lagi. Dato' Izzaddin bukan seseorang akauntan yg bodoh

Sudahlah gantry cranes baru yg velum terpakai dah runtuh, kononnya tak tahu lah apalagi akan terjadi bila projek ini mulai full swing. Kemungkinan nya mould2 yg berharga juta2 ringgit akan jadi scrap metal bila CHECapprove structural drawing. Selagi nak dapat savings RM200mil, mungkinnya cost overrun RM200mil seperti Third Lane Widening, IJN dll

Pemilik tanah PDC dah jual tanah agriculture kpd Builders dgn harga lumayan. Lepas tu Builders nak tambah lagi bayaran conversion fee. Siapa yg kena klentong?

Plain Talker jangan cabar budak Builders dibawah. Kami bukan bodoh! Orang macam engkau ni bahaya dan taat setia buta! Check lah fakta2 dulu. Kau ni bukan Plain Talker .... tapi Plain Liar!


Smooth Talker

Anonymous said...

Dear Plain Talker,
The more I read your comments, the more goose pimples I have!

Your absurdity in the rationale behind your response makes me wonder how on earth you landed a job in Builders. It doesn't take a genius to figure out why UemBuilders is doing so poorly when compared to the construction giants of IJM, WCT and Gamuda. Let's be clear about this, you are not even in the same league. IJM, etc in the Premier League, Builders in 3rd Division.

There's an English proverb that says " Empty barrels makes the most noise" . So keep your rantings going and you will continue to earn more humiliation with your silly and shallow reasonings.

Straight Talker

Anonymous said...

mr plain talker,

Any intellectual person will tell you not to count your chickens before they are hatched

Only politicians do!

Oops I forgot that your Ridza is one. Sorry for the ignorance

Anonymous said...

sorry I mean Ms Plain Talker

A Voice said...

I promised to write of my meeting with Tan Sri but had to delay several times.

In case you didn't notice, my posting have much cut and paste lately.

I have been quite sickly lately and also have other political priorities.

When the time comes, there are more corporate stories coming out. There will be those involving EUM Land/IRDA, Pantai, Khazanah, IJN, etc.

On top of that I have been receiving other documensts and am reading and sieving through.

Please understand I have my priorities as a political economics bloggers.

Anonymous said...

'Mana Ada GLC yg buat investment dan perolehi IRR tv rendah? Lebih baik simpan wang di FD.'
U offer solution? then DO it.. but of course.. you will limit yourself from being professional. that is y u talk-up(big talk)
on website only..going strong on fingers? ckp senang la, buat dulu if you have a company of course.

'Jangan lah tipu lagi. Dato' Izzaddin bukan seseorang akauntan yg bodoh.'
typical outcast n frustrated people would assume negative towards other people.

'Kemungkinan nya mould2 yg berharga juta2 ringgit akan jadi scrap metal bila CHECapprove structural drawing.'
"if"? wheres the proof? smearing your company's name is priceless. duri dalam daging.

'Plain Talker jangan cabar budak Builders dibawah. Kami bukan bodoh!'
typical local graduate needs support and sound very disturbed assuming other people think they r stupid. mayb u shud go profesional training management course. illetracy leads to self denial of your enviroment.

'assume again of plain takler a liar? '
assume? again? i think you should start to form a company named ASSUMEno1.sdn.bhd

you really what you write.not even with good english shield you from expressing your ungratitude. nak tegur dah besar, ego melangit. keje suka confrontation instead of cooperation. typical uncompetitive staff. technical knowledge questionable???
rather than integrate u differentiate.

you really a numb, simple thinker of operation management and the complexity of construction bussiness(mention before). full of vengence.
with your attitude do u think u can go improve yourself? go back to worm hole or outer space if you can afford one.
like you said, better simpan duit dalam FD. what a joke!

senang cerita.. where is your grounding facts?

'Oops I forgot that your Ridza is one. Sorry for the ignorance'
oops.. sorry you are ignorance.. ST

uem staff

Anonymous said...

OMG..English budak2 UEM ni very2 unique>>how to go global like this one?
hahaha..no wonder we are all in big trouble.

Anonymous said...

Buang masa ni Plain Talker. Dah ketuk biasiswa2 univerisiti ketempatan.

Jangan sombong sangat. Kalau ingat biasiswa universit luar negeri lebih canggih, fikir lah baik2 dulu.

Usah nak cakap dengan orang yang degil dan kelapa otak nya di ibu jari kaki.

Justeru Plain Talker= UEM Staff= Ridza Loyalist.

Tak hairan degilnya. Ikut lah tingkah laku boss kau!

Anonymous said...

GULF TIMES 12th August 2009

Firm accuses Ashghal of not clearing project dues

By Sarmad Qazi

A contractor to Public Works Authority (Ashghal) Salwa Road project has accused the authority of stopping payments to the tune of millions of riyals even after issuing the certificate of completion. Malaysia-based UEM, the major contractor for the 81km project, work on which started in 2003, said it was in a precarious situation as non-payment of dues by Ashghal meant that it was unable to pay its own sub-contractors for months.

The four-lane (on each side) Salwa International Highway, which was completed in December, 2008, includes 15 intersections with facilities for emergency parking and service lanes.

“We were issued a certificate of completion of work by Ashghal in January 2009, after we completed the work in December 2008. Despite this, the authority has not released hundreds of millions of riyals to us in payments. Ashghal has in fact filed a court case,” an official said on condition of anonymity.

Ashghal filed a lawsuit seeking damages, reportedly about QR878.3mn, against design consulting engineer Parson International Ltd, UEM and Qatar Insurance Company over the project.

“UEM has been named the second defendant in the case, even though we simply carried out work as per the design. The legal recourse is essentially against the design consultant, yet our assets were frozen,” the official said.

According to sources close to the project, at least 55km (in separate stretches) of the southbound part of the highway developed rutting soon after work was finished in 2006, leading to friction between Ashghal and UEM.

The contractor maintained that there was a design discrepancy and it was just carrying out the design given to it by the design consultant.

“Basically you had a four-lane highway, where you wanted to keep the last two lanes with just some new coating. This caused damages and the folly in the idea was exposed,” the source said.

The damage only occurred to the lane 3 and lane 4 which was filled with rocks and covered by new asphalt, as opposed to the complete building of lane 1 and lane 2.

Ostensibly, fearing delays Ashghal renegotiated the remaining project, as well as fixing of the bad stretch with UEM who maintains it resumed work “in good faith and to move forward”.

“When the client calls you and tells you lets move forward from here after renegotiating, you continue work in good faith. But soon after you finish the project, you are told that you are being sued for the previous dispute. And that too a dispute not directly caused by us. That’s bizarre,” the source said.

Ashghal’s own March 2007 newsletter (Volume 6, page 3) article on the project notes: “The beautification works on the highway, which was started in 2001, turned out to be a failure – a matter that needed urgent interference. An international company responsible for designing the highway undertook the project.
However, the designing was not properly reviewed by the concerned authority of that period. After winning tender, the Malaysian company started executing the contract in 2003. For the next nine months, the project did not record any considerable progress. During the rainfall last December, some gutters and pits appeared on all the three lanes of the road along 55km proceeding from Doha towards Abu Samra (the border).

“…the Ashghal committee report has clearly pointed out the faults and problems in the design of the project. The consultant has designed the project based on measurements beyond the standards and specifications of Qatar,” the article added.

Efforts to solicit a response from Ashghal were unsuccessful.



Putik Ciku Bergetah

http://www.gulftimes.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=308605&version=1&template_id=36&parent_id=16

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