‘Avoid rushing Second Trunk Road project’
KUCHING: The Sarawak government is warned that the rush to implement the proposed Second Trunk Road project smacks strongly of poor governance and compromises the state’s integrity in financial management, thereby putting the state and Sarawakians’ interests at risk.
Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How, in giving this warning yesterday, said the Sarawak government appears to have indulged itself in a spending spree while certain pricey projects are questionable, especially those that are not of significant priority or strategic.
“One such lavish project is the proposed Second Trunk Road project, which will cost the state an exorbitant RM4 billion to RM6 billion, depending on the amount of ‘hidden cost’ that it may entail,” said See at a press conference here.
See, who is Parti Keadilan Rakyat ( PKR) Sarawak vice chairman, suggested that Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg should seriously consider the appointment of a certified Integrity Officer from the Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission ( MACC) to oversee the whole process of planning, designing, value assessment, tendering, appointment of consultant and contractors, financing and the implementation of the proposed Second Trunk Road project. Prioritise coastal road networks “The implementation and completion of the coastal road networks and the connecting bridges are strategic and deserving for the state to give absolute priority for their implementation and financing, to better serve the coastal communities and accelerate the economic development of the coastal regions.
“It is an embarrassment that the Sarawak Coastal Road project, which was approved 32 years ago under the 5th Malaysia Plan commencing in 1986, is still an ongoing work today, without a clear indication when this alternative route connecting Sematan in Kuching to Miri will be completed. In fact, the Coastal Road when completed will be a shorter and possibly, a more preferred route than the Pan Borneo Highway, to travel between Kuching and Miri.”
In marked contrast, See said the urgency of the Sarawak administration to implement the proposed Second Trunk Road is debatable. Shorter routes with second trunk road misleading See noted that the Minister of Infrastructure Development and Transportation Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing, in his winding-up speech delivered on July 17 this year, revealed in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly that the proposed Second Trunk Road is to provide alternative shorter routes to the main trunk roads, Pan Borneo Highway and the coastal road network and that the proposed project consists of three sections:
1. The first section is from Kota Samarahan to Roban, which is approximately 112 kilometres of single carriageway JKR R5 twolane highway.
2. The second section links Sebuyau to Sri Aman/ Betong, which is approximately 94 kilometres of single carriageway JKR R5 two-lane highway.
3. The third and last section includes the upgrading of the existing Jalan Kelupu/Jalan Tanjung Genting to Lanang Bridge, Sibu from two lanes to four lanes JKR R5 highway.
Presently, the section of Coastal Road linking Kota Samarahan to Roban is approximately 155km, while the travelling between Sebuyau to Sri Aman/Betong by road, driving partly on the Coastal Road and partly on the Pan Borneo Highway, is approximately 117km. These roads are both two-lane carriageway of JKR R3 standard.
See said it is a misconception for many who have thought that the construction and completion of the proposed Second Trunk Road will shorten the route to Sibu.
“The Coastal Road is a shorter route to travel between Kota Samarahan and Sibu, taking the exit above Debak to continue the journey on the Pan Borneo Highway. On the other hand, for Sri Aman and Betong, where most parts of the proposed Second Trunk Road will lead to, the use of the proposed Second Trunk Road will lengthen the route by 70km.
“Even the reckless statement by the DCM ( Masing) that the proposed Second Trunk Road will provide an alternative shorter route to the two main trunk roads is fallacious and misleading. It is only an alternative shorter route between Sebuyau on the Coastal Road and Sri Aman and Betong on the Pan Borneo Highway, and nothing more.
“Yet, if the previous Barisan Nasional ( BN) government had been diligent in delivering its promises, the access road between Sri Aman and Sebuyau should have been completed long before this. Unfortunately, the tar-sealed road was only being completed between Sri Aman and Lingga, while the access between Lingga and Sebuyau is a rough journey on the trails through oil palm plantations which are at times inaccessible.” Call for independent report See therefore cautioned Abang Johari and advised that the chief minister seek an independent opinion on this proposed Second Trunk Road project and reach his own conclusion whether there is really a trunk road to be constructed.
Further, See said the chief minister and the Sarawak government should be more diligent and forthright in safeguarding its administrative integrity, to demand a clear explanation to what it appears in essence the connection and upgrading of two access roads networks, which could not justify the enormous costs it projected.
“Of course, all roads are beneficial but there is always the need to prioritise, to take into consideration the numerous needs for provision of other basic amenities and infrastructural development, and also the budgetary strength and constraints.”
Further, See claimed the proposed Second Trunk Road project is coming short in design and planning, soil investigation, survey and risk assessment, adding that the work scopes are broadened and exaggerated to jack-up the project cost.
“The most obvious, according to some consultants and contractors, is the single carriageway JKR R5 two-lane highway for the first two sections which may justify R3- standard instead of R5standard highway. They pointed to the traffic volume, still lacking in survey studies and data, but an up-to- date AVC (Average Traffic Count) records at the relevant ferry points are indicative of R4 and R3 standard roads:
– At Kota Samarahan Ferry Point is 110,000 vehicles per month;
– At Batang Lupar Ferry Point is 25,000 vehicles per month;
– At Batang Saribas Ferry Point is 26,000 vehicles per month; and
– At Batang Krian Ferry Point is 11,000 vehicles per month.
“This, in addition to the odd course that the proposed Second Trunk Road is diverted always into the peat land, hence by design has allowed the project costs to soar.”
See said instead of rushing the project, time should be given to allow JKR Sarawak to carry out and complete the soil investigation works for the proposed Second Trunk Road project, as more than 80 per cent of the road works are over peat swamp land.
“In that way, the intended contractors will have a clearer picture of the various packages of work, rather than tendering using ‘provisional quantities’ as they are being briefed and advised to do now.” Implement coastal road project first See said the chief minister and Sarawak administration must therefore rationalise the implementation of two mega road projects together, when the Pan Borneo Highway project is also ongoing, that they most certainly will drive up and fuel the inflation of costs of materials and manpower in the construction industry in general, and road construction in particular.
“It is certainly more advisable to implement the Coastal Road projects first, to complete the bridges, before the implementation of the proposed Second Trunk Road project, if by then it is fully assessed and found to be necessary.”
At the same time, See said it is his immediate concern as to the financing of these pricey projects “which will strain our state’s financial resources and challenge our proud record of prudent financial management”.
“In the pipeline are the proposed Sarawak Water Supply Grid project which is estimated to cost the state RM8 billion and the ‘CM Walkabout’ projects which are to cost an aggregate RM6 billion. To implement them concurrently with the two mega road projects, which cost an estimated RM8 billion to RM11 billion, almost all of our state reserves will have been exhausted and/or committed into these projects.
“With our state annual budget of RM6 billion, such enormous financial commitments on the few mega projects, all through the pre- qualification tenders at once, is certainly alarming.
“As a direct consequence, we will lose the RM2 billion annual earnings from the management of our state reserves which have for many years served Sarawak well by injecting them into needed projects, particularly those in our rural region.
“The CM and the State Financial Secretary must address this concern of many Sarawakians, their swelling fear that the state’s reserves will be wrongfully dissipated within the next few years.”
See said he must therefore call upon the chief minister to show his good leadership, that his state administration will continue to uphold integrity, transparency and good governance at this trying time.
“The CM will be held in high esteem if he is to request for the secondment of independent integrity officers from the MACC to serve in the respective boards and project management teams which oversee the planning and implementation of the state mega projects, including the proposed Second Trunk Road project and the proposed Sarawak Water Supply Grid project.
“I must also alert the MACC, the national and state audit departments and all Sarawakians to keep watch of the state ministries, departments, agencies as well as consultants, contractors and others who are involved in the undertaking of these state mega projects to ensure that the state and Sarawakians’ interests will not be compromised.”