Kota Kinabalu: Billions of ringgit have been allocated for development but Sabahans are still grappling with water shortages, scheduled power cuts and poor public transport, says Warisan President Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal.
The former chief minister questioned the state’s spending priorities and demanded firm action on long-standing problems, particularly delays and rising costs involving the Pan Borneo Highway project.
He said the Auditor-General’s report raised concerns over the project years ago, but Sabahans are still waiting for answers and improvements.
“The report must not only be read and understood. Action must be taken,” he told a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Kolombong, Wednesday.
The Pan Borneo Highway Phase One was initially approved at RM17 billion, covering 35 contract packages under the Project Delivery Partner (PDP) arrangement.
“The cost had since climbed beyond RM20 billion and could be approaching RM30 billion, based on my understanding,” he said.
He said physical progress reached only 12.88 per cent against a target 41 per cent at the stage covered by the report.
The federal government subsequently decided to terminate the PDP service contract, with the termination process carried out in 2019.
Shafie also raised concerns over land compensation linked to the project, saying he understood the amount approached RM1 billion based on information presented by the Works Ministry in Parliament.
He said the figures warranted closer scrutiny, particularly when Sabah continued to face serious deficiencies in essential infrastructure.
Shafie pointed to Tawau, where residents had been experiencing water shortages since July, while scheduled electricity supply remained another concern.
He also questioned the state’s spending priorities, listing Sabah’s annual budgets from 2021 to 2026 at RM4 billion, RM4.5 billion, RM5.1 billion, RM5.7 billion, RM6.4 billion and RM6.4 billion respectively.
The allocations amounted to about RM32 billion over the six-year period, he said, arguing that basic needs must receive greater attention.
While acknowledging that a substantial portion of the budgets went towards operating expenditure, Shafie said development priorities must reflect the everyday problems faced by the people.
He said when Warisan governed Sabah during the Covid-19 pandemic, the state had to work with limited resources while setting aside about RM600 million for food assistance, alongside efforts to procure vaccines and meet other urgent needs.
He also called for a broader review of Sabah’s transport priorities, arguing that major infrastructure spending should deliver better connectivity for the state.
“If there is such a large allocation, even RM5 billion could help build a railway,” he said, pointing to the need for a rail connection linking Kota Kinabalu with Sandakan and Tawau.
He said Sabah should not be left behind in developing reliable public transport while other parts of the country continued to expand their rail networks.
Shafie also urged the government to reassess where more than RM60 billion allocated to the Education Ministry should be channelled according to pressing needs, including improving facilities and expanding opportunities for Sabah students.
He said the limited local university places meant some Sabah students had to pursue their studies in Sarawak, Kelantan and Peninsular Malaysia, adding to their families’ financial burden through accommodation, transport and airfares.
Shafie said the party had more than 380,000 members, including in Peninsular Malaysia.