The post has gone viral with many netizens unhappy with the look of the finished product and the apparently high price of RM50,000 for the jetty.
Keyboard warriors were quick to condemn the project stating that it was overpriced and that funds had been siphoned off in the completion of the project while others have provided a level-headed view of the matter.
Facebook user Jefferey Lim has provided some clarifications to the matter, one of which was "Why not build with concrete?"
The gist of the issue is that belian wood used in the construction of the jetty was more suitable for the intended use and that concrete would be more expensive to maintain, transport, and build.
He also commented on the price but avoided conjecture as there was not enough information on final project. He did however share that the commercial price for belian wood ranged from RM4,000 to RM8,xxx per ton. In light of this, JKR Sarawak has relased a follow up statement addressing the jetty's cost price and explained that the estimated cost is based on the JKR Sarawak Schedule of Rates for the year 2020 at RM9,000 per meter cube.
The report also mentions the transportation costs for construction due to the remote area of the jetty and the fact that was infested with crocodiles. We don't know how they cost crocodiles into the overall cost of construction. Perhaps insurance? Can anyone clue us in?
You may read the statement by JKR Sarawak in full below:
Page 2 isn't much but for the sake of completion, here you go:
