KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 30 — Former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the RM38.5 million in renovations to the Seri Perdana Complex were necessary for practical reasons.
He added that the building’s ageing electrical wiring, lighting and mechanical equipment such as air-conditioning units posed a fire risk if not replaced.
He said the work had to be carried out immediately, as to delay it would have meant footing an even costlier bill.
“The decision to renovate Seri Perdana was made to restore the government-owned building, which is the symbol of the institution of the head of government and image of the country, to its original condition.
“If it had not been repaired immediately, its condition would have deteriorated further and the cost of repairs would have definitely increased,” he said in a Facebook post today.
Muhyiddin went on to say that he had been made aware of the poor state that Seri Perdana was in when he took office last year.
Among the problems were leaks, outdated lighting systems as well as damaged or worn out floors and roofs, he added.
He also disclosed that he never stayed at Seri Perdana, which is the official residence of the prime minister, during his tenure as head of government.
Yesterday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions) Datuk Abd Latiff Ahmad said that the 22-year-old Seri Perdana Complex was in dire need of renovations worth RM38.5 million, after significant wear and tear to both its interior and exterior.
In a statement yesterday, he also sought to correct previous reports that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob had revealed RM30 million was spent on renovations for the prime minister’s official residence, saying that it was him who had responded to a query on the matter from Pokok Sena MP Datuk Mahfuz Omar.
Abd Latiff said that the Public Works Department’s (PWD) assessment of the building’s condition showed RM38.5 million was needed for repairs.
