Kota Kinabalu: Sabah has delivered close to 300 Federal projects worth RM50 million and below as the State advances its Sabah Maju Jaya 2.0 (SMJ 2.0) development agenda.
“Since Rolling Plan 3 of the 12th Malaysia Plan until today, Sabah has handled about 295 projects worth RM50 million and below.
“This shows that Sabah has built up the expertise and manpower needed to independently manage these projects. It shows we are capable in terms of capacity,” said Works and Utility Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Datuk Ridhwan Roger Linus.
He was among panellist at the SANKALPA Sabah 2030 Forum on the implementation of the SMJ 2.0 strategy held at the Sabah International Convention Centre, Tuesday.
For the record, since 2023 under the Madani unity government, Sabah has been allowed to handle Federal projects worth RM50 million and below.
Under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 framework, Putrajaya decentralised this authority, allowing the state administration and agencies to approve and manage these developments without going through bureaucratic Federal channels in Peninsula Malaysia.
Ridhwan said this growing project delivery capacity supports the goals of the SMJ 2.0, the State’s strategic development roadmap for 2026-2030 which builds on the recovery and stabilisation efforts of the earlier SMJ 1.0 framework.
The SMJ 2.0 is aimed at strengthening Sabah’s economic competitiveness, accelerate infrastructure growth and uplift local communities.
Ridhwan said the projects are carried out through three technical departments, the Public Works Department, the Department of Irrigation and Drainage and the Water Department.
He said earlier capacity concerns were addressed through discussions with the State Public Service Commission, which expanded human resource capacity to support the growing project load.
Additionally, he said resolving land acquisition and utility relocation matters ahead of time before handing projects to the Public Works Department (PWD) would let construction begin immediately.
He cited the Pan Borneo Highway as an example of a project that faced early delays due to such preparatory work.
“Streamlining this process would strengthen Sabah’s ability to deliver infrastructure efficiently going forward,” he said.
He also said Sabah is embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and smart technology to modernise its water, road and electricity services, as part of the innovation drive under the SMJ 2.0 roadmap.
“If we use AI with a vehicle’s route, for example, and it passes through that location, it can measure the size and depth of a pothole and determine what action the PWD should take,” he said.
He said the new AI Pothole Detection System would replace manual inspection methods with a faster, more precise way of identifying road damage.
The Ministry is also introducing an Advanced Active Leak Monitoring System after increased water pressure from the newly completed Telibong 2 project caused some ageing pipes to burst, helping detect losses that are not visible on the surface.
On electricity, he said Sabah Electricity has installed around 6,500 smart meters, giving residents better insight into their electricity usage and costs, while sewerage services are being upgraded through robotic technology for greater efficiency.
He added that the Ministry is exploring the reuse of treated wastewater for industrial and landscaping purposes, as well as solar power to run water and sewage treatment plants.
