Sabah govt unhappy with delay in airport project

The Sabah government is unhappy over the prolonged delay in the completion of the Kota Kinabalu International Airport expansion project.

Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman said yesterday that Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan, who is Infrastructure Development Minister, would write to the Transport Ministry over the matter.

He said the delay was over the completion date in extending the airport runway and taxiway.

“The project contractor recently asked for an extension of the completion for the fourth time and it has now been pushed to March 18 next year,” Musa said after chairing the state action council meeting here yesterday.

Musa and other state officials were earlier briefed by Malaysia Airports Bhd officials and the project’s consultants about the progress on the expansion work.

He said among the reason cited for the delay was inclement weather conditions in the state capital.

Meanwhile, Musa said more than 44% or 1,699 of the 3,830 projects earmarked for Sabah under the Ninth Malaysia Plan had been completed so far while another 2,041 projects were being implemented.

He said more than 77% or RM15.8bil of the RM20.3bil allocated to the state for the five-year plan had been utilised so far.

“The figures show that the various implementation agencies have been playing their roles effectively,” he added.

On another note, Musa said the state government’s 23,000 employees would be receiving a special payment of RM500 before Hari Raya in line with a similar move by the federal government.

He said the special payment would cost the state more than RM9.7mil.

courtesy of Star