PENAMPANG: Penampang MP Datuk Ewon Benedick called for further clarification on the status of 13 rural road projects in Sabah whose Letters of Acceptance (SST) have been deferred.
Ewon, who is also Deputy Chief Minister III and State Industrial Development, Entrepreneurship and Transportation Minister, said MPs and the public needed to know whether the projects would proceed or be postponed to next year.
He said although the matter had been addressed by the Deputy Finance Minister during the winding-up of the 2027 Budget debate, further explanation was still needed.
“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 the upgrading works on Jalan Terian and Jalan Buayan, here, Friday.
Ewon said the projects should not be sidelined as they had been planned and proposed over the 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 status of the affected projects, which involved not only Sabah but also Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.
He said if the approved projects could not be implemented this year due to funding constraints, priority should be given to carrying them out next year.
Ewon said one of the affected rural road projects was in his Kadamaian constituency, adding that rural communities should not be denied access to better road facilities.
