by AZREEN HANI / pic by TMR FILE

MINISTER in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Latif Ahmad said that the Seri Perdana Complex has to undergo RM38.5 million renovation as it has suffered quite a number of damages.

“As the Seri Perdana Complex has reached about 22 years, it has suffered a lot of damages.

Therefore, the Public Works Department (JKR) has made repairs at a total cost of RM38.5 million, including replacement work on the electrical wiring system and roof leaks,” Latiff said in a media statement yesterday.

“The project was approved on March 19 2021 and the work started on March 29, 2021. It is expected to be completed on December 7, 2021. As of today (29 September 2021), the renovation work has reached 74% progress, compared to 71% per schedule,” he added.

He also clarified that the written reply by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to Datuk Mahfuz Omar (PH-Pokok Sena) in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday was prepared by him and not the PM.

Mahfuz had queried the PM on the status, components and scopes of the renovation work on the Seri Perdana Complex.

Seri Perdana Complex, built in 1997 and fully completed in 1999, was the official government residence for the Malaysian PM.

The high renovation cost, amid the pandemic, has drawn many criticisms, especially from the opposition MPs.

Parti Pejuang Tanahair MP Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah questioned the need for such renovations during the pandemic.

“It’s really insensitive for such expenditure to be made during the present situation when the rakyat are struggling to make ends meet,” he said in a press conference on Tuesday.

Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh also said that her questions on renovation costs of Cabinet members’ offices were left unanswered during the parliament session.