Pan Borneo Highway to uplift standards of living
THE Pan Borneo Highway Project, a modern highway covering 2,325km across Sabah and Sarawak, will benefit over 6.5 million residents.
In less than five years’ time, the new ‘jewel’ for the land of Borneo will end the 50-year wait of Sabahans and Sarawakians for a highway of international standard.
Construction of the RM14.2 billion project is now 2 per cent ahead of schedule. As of last month, the overall construction progress was 14.76 per cent compared to the scheduled 12.78 per cent.
The mega project from Telok Melano, Sematan to Miri, covers 11 packages built in stages since September 2016. It is expected to be completed in June 2021.
The first phase of the project, which was officiated at by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the Bakun Junction Rest and Retreat project site on March 30, 2015, demonstrated that this initiative can be implemented and is not just an empty promise.
Characterised as the ‘greatest engineering project in Borneo island’, the initiative not only meets the needs and wishes of the people, but will also be able to uplift their standards of living in line with the government’s aspiration to bring greater progress to Sabah and Sarawak.
It has also created history as the first ‘Category R5’ four-lane highway in the country to be built without toll charges in future.
The project will indeed spur local development, thereby enhancing the socioeconomic progress of the people, and enhancing various sectors including tourism.
This mega project will not only bring about significant impact and changes to Sarawak, but can also improve its socioeconomic status to be on par with other states.
This is because it can reduce the cost of transporting goods, while traveling from one destination to another will be faster and smoother. It will also open up new areas and spur economic activities for all communities.
At the same time, it will facilitate logistics handling and increase local agricultural produce in the market.
The Pan Borneo Highway will encourage infrastructure and economic development along the connected areas, thus benefiting local communities, especially in rural areas.
In addition, this mega project will also open up employment opportunities to locals. A total of 400,000 job opportunities have been provided to the people of Sabah and Sarawak including as assistant project managers, senior engineers, engineers, supervisors, and machinery operators.
A large number of job opportunities will spur the economic development in all the areas along the 1,089km-highway and in turn improve the livelihoods of the people.
The project will also be a platform to produce more highly skilled manpower among Sabahans and Sarawakians.
At the same time, the project also ensures the engagement and participation of Bumiputera contractors in Sabah and Sarawak in its development through the Bumiputera Participation Programme.