PASIR MAS, Dec 21 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today gave his assurance that Phase 1 and 2 of the Sungai Golok Integrated River Basin Development (PLSB) project in Kelantan will be expedited without excessive costs.

In this regard, he said the project would be carried out through a limited tender.

"The Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) must submit a report on the Sungai Golok PLSB project to the Finance Ministry (MOF) before the tender process starts.

"I guarantee that the MOF will speed up the approval, on the condition that it is not a direct negotiation to ensure that the cost does not increase,” he told a press conference after visiting the temporary relief centre at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tengku Panglima Raja here.

During the visit, the prime minister was briefed on the current flood situation in Pasir Mas by district officer Hazmi Abdul Hamid and state DID director Kamal Mustapha.

Also present were Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali and Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.

Elaborating, Anwar said DID had been asked to send the report on the Sungai Golok PLSB project at the end of this month.

"I don’t know about the timeline, but I already told them to speed it up if possible so that the approval by the MOF can be expedited as well,” he added.

Asked whether the allocation for Phase 1 and 2 of the Sungai Golok PLSB project would be reduced as it will be implemented through a limited tender, Anwar said it would depend on the tender.

"It depends on the tender...it cannot be a normal tender because it will take too long. Also, it cannot be done through direct negotiation as the cost will increase. So it is better if we go through a limited tender and the process can be expedited,” he said. — Bernama