Malaysian contractor 'driven to suicide'

Thursday, November 30, 2006 (Thiruvananthapuram): A Malaysian contractor working on a project in Kerala killed himself in Kuala Lumpur earlier this month. It has now been revealed that Lee See Ben left a suicide note, saying the system in Kerala was extremely corrupt and it had become difficult for him to continue working there. Lee was in charge of a World Bank aided project for the Kerala State Transport Corporation and was believed to be frustrated. The project had been stalled for the past six to seven months because the government hadn't paid the company dues of about Rs 12 crore. Govt orders probe Soon after his death, the Kerala government shifted out the PWD secretary and ordered a vigilance inquiry. However, PWD Minister TU Kuruvila says they have not got a formal complaint over Lee's death. "Till date, I have not received any complaint. I don't know about officials below but as a minister, I have not received any paper," said Kuruvila. Lee Seen Ben used to supervise the project work from this office and his colleagues here are yet to come to terms with the tragedy. Lee's colleagues, however, don't want to speak on camera, as they have got orders from above. Amicable person However, locals say he was a helpful person, but obviously under some sort of strain. "He was a down to earth person, very co-operative, used to come here and have tea with all of us. Even though he held a high position in the company, he mingled with everyone," said a local. "He was in some kind of strain, that was clearly visible on his face. It seemed he was going through a bad patch," added another. The project was scheduled for completion by April 2006, but is not even near the halfway mark. The government is now thinking of extending the project deadline to May next year. "If both the parties, the government and the contractors co-operate, we can carry forward the project, but we should come together," added Kuruvila. While the project is vital for the state, Lee's suicide and the allegations he has made need to be investigated.