KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: Maintenance work in schools has not been carried out thoroughly and this has caused several buildings and infrastructure to be unsafe.

The 2008 Auditor-General's report showed that although the Education Ministry had engaged the services of 47 private consultants in a contract worth RM22.18 million (S$9.2 million) to look into repair works in all schools, they did not carry out the job satisfactorily.

The consultants were also required to monitor and approve the work done by contractors before disbursing payment to them (the contractors).

Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang said the ministry did not thoroughly examine the performance of the consultants and had not set aside enough money and technical support staff for maintenance work.

He said the ministry should allocate enough money to carry out preventive and corrective maintenance on all schools, while both the ministry and the Public Works Department must prepare a clear job scope for the contractors' easy references and the officers supervising the work.

"Supervising maintenance work should not be the teacher's duty.

"It should be done by someone with technical expertise, and vacancies for technical assistants must be filled as soon as possible."

He said the ministry should take action against those who declared incomplete work as completed and if it was committed by a government officer, disciplinary action must be taken or a surcharge had to be imposed.

"If it involves a consultant, then the company should be blacklisted and the offence reported to its governing body," Ambrin said.

Other recommendations include placing all maintenance work under one unit for better management and planning, conducting market research to ensure that the government gets value for money, and financial-management training be given to those involved in the projects.

The Higher Education Ministry, meanwhile, must ensure that specialised equipment bought for courses in community colleges were suitable for the subjects they were for.

Ambrin said the audit found that certain equipment required by these colleges were either delivered late or not at all by the supplier; the items were bought in excess, not used or unsuitable; or they were paid for but not tested.

"The ministry should get views from lecturers before buying equipment so that they are is suitable."

He said they must ensure that undelivered items were supplied to the colleges immediately, while extra equipment could be distributed to other colleges that might need them.

Meanwhile, the report also revealed that the Kepala Batas Mara boarding school in Penang for high-achievers from rural areas, had been occupied since April 2007 before receiving its certificate of fitness.

The school was planned under the Eighth Malaysia Plan at a cost of RM47 million.