KOTA BARU: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has confirmed that it is investigating 10 tube well projects by state-owned water company Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd (AKSB) that failed to function.
MACC chief commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki said the projects, worth some RM300 million, were carried out by AKSB between 2008 and 2015.
In total, he said, 28 tube wells were constructed under the horizontal collector well (HCW) and the repair of water treatment plants project.
Azam also confirmed the arrest of four people in relation to the investigation into the construction of the tube well projects in Kelantan which failed to supply water to the residents.
He added that investigations were being carried out by MACC's special operations division.
"The tube wells built by the company should supply raw water to the water treatment plant before it is distributed to consumers.
"The construction of HCWs of different capacities is an alternative, to overcome the water problem in the state especially in the dry season.
"But many of the wells that were built failed to produce the quantity of water resources at an optimum level," he told the New Straits Times when contacted.
Initial MACC investigations, said Azam, found that there may be several AKSB officers who received bribes from the consultant companies appointed for the tube well construction project.
"MACC also believes that manipulation might have been involved in the approval process for the project in 2015.
"This because the tube wells that were built cannot be utilised, causing losses. Our investigations will include identifying the actual amount of losses and the amount of bribes involved," he said.
Azam said that the issue of the failure of the tube wells to supply water to water treatment plants had been exposed by the auditor general through the Auditor General's Report 2015, leading to a reprimand.
"The 2015 report also revealed that a total of eight water treatment plants were audited at that time and as a result four plants namely Pintu Gang, Wakaf Bunut, Wakaf Baru and Chica which have tube wells are not working perfectly.
"Even though the issue has been exposed and reprimanded by the auditor general, this problem is still recurring," he said.
Azam said investigations carried out by MACC were also based on complaints from consumers in Kelantan regarding the water problems they have faced.
He added that it was also found that there were HCWs that failed to function and had been closed due to various factors.
"This caused a failure to meet the objective of ensuring that users obtain sufficient water supply, especially in the dry season."