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THE government has been urged to clarify whether 13 rural road projects in Sabah, whose Letters of Acceptance (SST) have been deferred, will proceed or be carried forward to next year.
Penampang MP Datuk Ewon Benedick said MPs and the public needed a clear explanation on the status of the projects, despite the issue having been raised by the Deputy Finance Minister during the winding-up of the 2027 Budget debate.
He said there had been no definitive answer on whether the projects had been cancelled or merely postponed.
“I have asked whether the projects have been cancelled or carried forward to the following year, but there has been no clear explanation so far,” he said after inspecting upgrading works on Jalan Terian and Jalan Buayan in Penampang, Sabah on Friday.
Ewon, who is also Deputy Chief Minister III and State Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transportation Minister, said the projects should not be sidelined as they had been planned and proposed over several years by various parties, including the State Economic Planning Unit (Upen), Public Works Department (JKR) and elected representatives.
He urged the relevant ministry to brief MPs on the affected projects, which involved Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.
Ewon said if funding constraints prevented the approved projects from being implemented this year, they should be prioritised for implementation next year.
He also disclosed that one of the affected rural road projects was in his Kadamaian constituency, stressing that rural communities should not be denied access to better road infrastructure. - October 31, 2026
