Sabah to set up a committee to monitor construction of Pan Borneo highway

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Infrastructure Development Ministry will set up a committee to replace previously appointed consultants to monitor the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway project in the state.

Minister Datuk Peter Anthony said the committee, comprising representatives of the department and related agencies from his ministry and the State Ministry of Finance, will also restructure the implementation of the project, particularly in awarding contracts to contractors.

“So far, the Pan Borneo project continues, but it (its implementation) will be refined.

“It is also possible that we will evaluate the contracts given to the contractors currently doing the construction if there are events of ‘leakage or unreasonable prices’ we will make improvements to the contract,” he told the press at the ministry’s Aidilfitri open house here yesterday.

Peter also expressed his disappointment on the absence of the ministry’s role previously in monitoring the project which was only done by appointed consultants who were paid more than RM700 million by the government.

Apart from that, he said the compensation for landowners’ involved in land acquisition for the project was too high involving billions of ringgit, when the project could use existing roads.

“Why should we waste people’s money to buy land adjacent to the existing road? “( In the restructuring of the project) we will ensure that the existing road is used to reduce costs,” he said, adding that the restructuring of the project is expected to save RM1 billion.

Peter also said his ministry would propose to the government to terminate the services of contractors who did not meet the prescribed regulations or fail to complete the work within the given period.

The first phase of the Pan Borneo Highway Project Sabah involving 706km was launched in 2016 with 35 work packages worth RM12.8 billion. — Bernama