Kota Kinabalu: The Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) has confirmed that its proposal to upgrade the road connecting Kampung Pahu and Kampung Wasai in Kiulu, Sabah, was not approved under the Fifth Rolling Plan (RP5) of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) for 2025.
In a written response to Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau, the ministry said it would resubmit the proposal under the First Rolling Plan (RP1) of the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) in 2026.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Tangau had raised the issue in Parliament, questioning the government’s plans to address the difficulties faced by students and residents who rely on the road daily.
“This road is frequently cut off due to heavy rain and landslides, forcing school closures and disrupting electricity supply,” he said during the Oral Question session.
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“As for the Kampung Wasai road, KKDW has yet to receive any project submission from the Sabah State Government but is aware that the Sabah Public Works Department (JKR) has plans to upgrade the Tomis Tiong Lokos Kotunuan Lama Wasai road in the future,” the ministry said.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Concerns over the road conditions in Kampung Pahu and Kampung Wasai are not new. In 2017, then-Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman had announced an RM200,000 allocation to upgrade the road connecting the two villages. However, since then, no major improvements have been reported.
In 2022, residents of Kampung Wasai Baru called on the Sabah government to expedite the upgrading process, noting that only a small portion of the road had been concreted, while the steeper sections remained in poor condition. In a report by the Daily Express, villagers said they had to rely on gotong-royong efforts to patch up the damaged road, particularly after heavy rains.
Advertisement (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});A community representative, Jimy Gohon, had urged the government to prioritise the most hazardous sections, expressing frustration that progress had been slow.
With Tangau now bringing the issue to Parliament, residents are hopeful that the project will be prioritised under the next Malaysia Plan, preventing further disruptions to daily life in the affected villages.
