KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 (Bernama) -- Regular monitoring of project implementation in Sabah and Sarawak through the MyProjek system will be intensified to prevent further delays in development projects, such as those experienced by Packages 1 and 2 of the Pan Borneo Highway (LPB).
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said delays in the implementation of the LPB project involving the Beaufort-Sipitang stretch in Sabah were highlighted in an audit report debated in the Dewan Rakyat recently.
He said that based on briefings received, the delays stemmed from site preparation problems and several other issues. He therefore urged that the project be expedited, as it had been ongoing for almost eight years, resulting in increased costs.
“I hope that following these audit findings, all parties will sit down together to find solutions, as this project is important,” he said when appearing as a guest on Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme, titled Realising Budget 2027, tonight.
He said project monitoring was actually carried out at every level, including at project sites, district Public Works Department (JKR) offices, state JKR offices and the ministry. However, problems arising along the route were difficult to anticipate, particularly when the construction involved new roads.
“In this regard, we need better coordination and, more importantly, we must learn from the audit’s observations to ensure that such problems do not recur,” he said.
Under Budget 2027, the government allocated RM3.3 billion to address delays and expedite construction of the LPB, thereby driving new economic growth.
Mustapha, who is also Sepanggar MP, said the LPB was crucial as it would have a significant impact on Sabah and Sarawak, particularly through economic spillover benefits for local communities.
“In my constituency, three LPB packages pass through Sepanggar, and if we look at the villages near the highway route, those areas are becoming increasingly developed, with new commercial centres emerging.
“The LPB is also expected to boost tourism in both states. Even now, without the LPB, many tourists from Brunei are already visiting Miri and then continuing to Sabah. Once the LPB is completed, I believe it will improve mobility between several regions, including Kalimantan,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mustapha said the RM1.3 billion allocation to upgrade 682 dilapidated schools, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak, was still insufficient, although it could resolve problems faced by some of the schools.
He said the issue of dilapidated schools in Sabah and Sarawak was expected to be resolved comprehensively over a period of time, after access routes to schools in remote areas were also addressed.
He said the doubling of Public Service Department (JPA) scholarships for 4,200 students from Sabah and Sarawak, the increase in Early Schooling Assistance to RM200, the raising of special assistance for special education students to RM200 per month, and an annual cost-of-living allowance of RM2,500 for Form Six students were among the MADANI Government’s commitments to developing the country’s education sector.
“The doubling of JPA scholarships was among the matters discussed by the Malaysia Agreement 1963 Implementation Action Council (MTPMA63), where both states requested that the scholarships be extended to students from Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.
He said the education allocations clearly demonstrated that the MADANI Government was concerned about the welfare of students in Sabah and Sarawak, from primary and secondary school through to Form Six and university.
-- BERNAMA