Kota Kinabalu: The move to set up two special committees to speed up land acquisition and utility relocation for the Pan Borneo Highway project shows weaknesses in early planning and project management.
Libaran MP Datuk Suhaimi Nasir said while the committees, announced by Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Ir Shahelmey Yahya, could be seen as an effort, they reflected the government’s failure to address known issues from the start.
“After years of waiting for the highway to be completed, only now is the government considering the formation of special committees, even though land acquisition and utility relocation issues have been known since the project was first announced,” he said in a statement today.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});“Is the state government only taking action now because the delays have reached a critical stage? Where were the early action plans and proper coordination that should have been in place before the project even began?”
Suhaimi also questioned the effectiveness of the newly formed committees, pointing out that previous committees had failed to produce significant improvements in the project’s progress.
“We do not want these committees to serve merely as excuses to cover up administrative shortcomings and to shift responsibility,” he said.
Calling for full transparency, Suhaimi urged the state government to disclose the latest project timeline, details of additional costs arising from the delays, and to ensure that all contractors and related agencies are held accountable.
“The people of Sabah have been patient enough. We do not want to hear more excuses. What the people want is for the highway to be completed quickly and safely, because it is not just a development project – it is the lifeline for our state’s economy and the wellbeing of our people,” he said.
