JKR Clarifies That Istana Negara Maintenance Contract is For 7 Years, M’sians Still Outraged at Cost

It was recently revealed that the Ministry of Public Works has been working with a company for the management of the facilities at Istana Negara on a contract worth RM519 million.

Following an article by WORLD OF BUZZ which featured the reactions of Malaysians upon finding this out, the Public Works Department (JKR) has released a statement clarifying that the amount is for a period of seven years which is due to end this month.

In a statement shared on their social media pages, JKR explained that the scope of work comprised of an area of 24.1.3 acres and involves several key components of Istana Negara.

MAKLUM BALAS MEDIA JABATAN KERJA RAYA (JKR) MALAYSIA TERHADAP ARTIKEL YANG DTERBITKAN OLEH https://t.co/4jZUd2O0DF BERTAJUK “M’SIANS OUTRAGED TO FIND THAT MINISTRY OF WORKS IS PAYING RM519 MILLION TO MAINTAIN ISTANA NEGARA”. pic.twitter.com/dbxG9wHiHV

— JKR Malaysia (@JKRMalaysia) June 1, 2022

The statement explained that the maintenance and repair work carried out is guided by the Guidelines for Scheduled Maintenance of Government Buildings (Version 2008) set by JKR.

“The scope of the contract comprises of an area of 24.1.3 acres and involves 3 key components which are the Formal Component (Balairong Seri, banquet hall, Conference of rulers meeting room) and the Royal Component (Contest Room, Dining Room, Royal Guest Room),” they said.

“Besides that, the Administrative Component (administration and security office, surau, support buildings and others) with a total gross floor area of 89,525 square meters,” added the statement.

Commenting further, JKR said that all the facilities at the premises must always be maintained in the best condition.

“This is in line with the position of the premise as a national level building that symbolises the sovereignty, identity, culture and image of the country.”

Cost breakdown

The statement by JKR didn’t go down well with Malaysians who were quick to break down the cost per year, per day and per square foot per month.

“A 7 year contract. RM519 million is enough to provide an assistance fund of RM1,000 per month for 7 years to around 6,200 families,” said a user.

Another pointed out that the RM519 million equates to RM74.14 million per year and RM6.41 per sq feet per month. “Imagine paying this much on a per sq feet basis for your maintenance fee on your property,” added the user.

“This equates to RM203,000 per day. With that amount, you can buy a low cost housing for more than 2,500 families,” said the user.

What about hospitals and schools?

Meanwhile, some users called out the Ministry for spending ‘unnecessary’ amounts of money and said that the money could’ve been better spent elsewhere.

“Schools, public hospitals and clinics also help to symbolise the sovereignty, identity, culture and image of the country, but don’t require that much funds,” pointed out a user.

Another user shared a news report about how Hospital Shah Alam was maintained for RM107.89 million for a term of 5 years. “This means that the cost to maintain Istana Negara costs 3 times as much.”

A couple of users went to the extent of labelling the use of money as haram. “My tax money, I forbid them from using it for purposes other than to aid the public and the rakyat,” said a netizen.

Another said, “I forbid even a single sen of my money to be used for people who are already privileged.”

What’s your take on this issue? Let us know in the comments.

Also read: M’sians Outraged to Find That Ministry of Works is Paying RM519 MILLION to Maintain Istana Negara