Kuala lumpur: The Works Ministry (KKR) has called on all relevant ministries and departments to hold urgent discussions to expedite the pre-construction phase of government projects nationwide to prevent further delays. Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Maslan stated that 1,249 projects remain in the pre-construction stage, which includes planning, design, and procurement processes.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ahmad highlighted that "Pre-construction means no physical work has begun on site, no contractor has been appointed and no Letter of Acceptance (SST) has been issued." Out of these projects, 855 are still in the planning stage, 93 are in the design phase, and 229 are in the procurement phase. He emphasized the need for all parties involved to convene and expedite the pre-construction process to ensure that implementation on the ground can proceed more quickly and effectively.

Ahmad pointed out that delays do not only occur during the construction stage, but many projects also face bottlenecks during pre-construction, especially in the Value Assessment (VA) and Value Engineering (VE) processes. He stressed that "This situation cannot be allowed to continue because the people are waiting for essential facilities such as hospitals, schools, and basic infrastructure to be completed. If the pre-construction phase is delayed, construction will inevitably be pushed back. We want this process to move faster," he said.

Meanwhile, Ahmad revealed that there are currently 855 cross-ministerial projects under construction. Of these, 255 are progressing ahead of schedule, 273 are on schedule, 289 are behind schedule, and 35 are classified as critical or sick projects.