This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on March 19, 2019

KUALA LUMPUR: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has urged the transport ministry to investigate YTL Corp Bhd in the failure of a RM24.27 million government-commissioned marina in Pulau Mentagor, Perak, unused since its completion.

According to the PAC report tabled in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, the government had initially wanted to build the marina in Lumut, but YTL suggested it be built on the uninhabited Pulau Mentagor, which the company was initially planning to develop.

The project was granted to YTL via a direct negotiation by the then Barisan Nasional government.

The construction was completed on July 31, 2007 and the project was set to begin operating on March 22, 2010.  However,  the report said the marina was not well-received by sailors, and no ships entered the area throughout the operation period.

In a statement, PAC chairman Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee said the committee viewed the matter seriously.

Kiandee said the public marina has not been operated nor utilised since YTL is uninterested in developing this uninhabited island.