Kota Kinabalu: The Auditor-General’s findings on the prolonged delay in Sabah’s Pan Borneo Highway should now become a blueprint for fixing weaknesses in project planning and delivery.
The Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) Sabah Branch said the highway was too important to Sabah’s future for setbacks to be viewed merely as technical or administrative problems, stressing that it is a strategic investment in connectivity, road safety, economic growth and the wellbeing of communities statewide.
Its statement came after the Auditor-General’s Report 2/2026 found that only four of the 35 work packages under Phase 1 of the Sabah Pan Borneo Highway had been completed as of March 31 this year.
The four packages represented just 11.4 per cent of the 706km project, while the remaining 31 packages, valued at RM16.319 billion, were still under implementation. Nine were classified as “sick” projects and 13 were behind schedule.
The audit also identified serious project management weaknesses, including RM513.99 million in variation orders approved beyond authorised limits and RM41.37 million in delayed utility cost claims for completed projects.
It also found that 19 packages had started work before their environmental impact assessment reports were approved.
IEM Sabah said major infrastructure programmes of such scale and complexity inevitably involve challenges such as land acquisition, utility relocation, site and ground conditions, environmental requirements, construction resources and coordination between different work packages.
However, it said the latest audit findings should provide useful lessons for stakeholders to strengthen project planning, coordination, monitoring and implementation.
“The priority moving forward should be to build upon the experience gained and continue strengthening collaboration” among the Federal and Sabah governments, implementing agencies, engineers, consultants, contractors and other stakeholders, it said.
IEM Sabah also called for greater use of integrated project management, digital project monitoring, effective risk management and faster technical decision-making to improve the delivery of major infrastructure projects.
The professional body stressed that the highway was more than a road project, describing it as a critical link that would connect communities, facilitate the movement of people and goods, support industries and widen economic opportunities.
It said the engineering profession had an important role in providing practical, innovative and sustainable solutions, and that IEM Sabah remained ready to contribute technical knowledge and industry experience where appropriate.
Ultimately, IEM Sabah said, all parties shared the same objective – to deliver safe, reliable, resilient and quality infrastructure that would provide lasting benefits to Sabahans.
With the audit now exposing the scale of the weaknesses, the challenge is no longer simply completing the highway, but ensuring that the lessons are translated into tighter controls and faster delivery on the ground.
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