KUCHING: The Sarawak portion of the Pan Borneo Highway, initially expected to be completed next June, could be delayed by about 14 months, said Works Minister Baru Bian today.
Noting the initial completion date stated in the project delivery partner (PDP) Lebuhraya Borneo Utara (LBU) contract was next June, Baru said based on the Sarawak Public Works Department’s (JKR) engagement with stakeholders involved, the completion date might vary from May to August 2022.
However, he said, this estimate by stakeholders had yet to be verified by Sarawak JKR itself. He hoped the JKR would come up with the exact date of the completion of the project in the next few months.
“These are the facts that we have discovered after engaging with the stakeholders and hopefully in the next two or three months more details will come.
“However, we will do our best to complete this project by June 2022,” he said, adding that the delay was not due to the project being taken over by the ministry.
Baru said the federal government had been able to reduce the total cost from RM21.857 billion to RM18.992 billion through the termination of the PDP.
“This means that we are able to save a total of RM2.865 billion of the development cost,” he said.
However, this was just an estimate as the actual cost could only be determined after the work had been completed, he said, adding that he was confident of further reducing the total cost of the project.
On the retrenchment of more than 500 LBU employees due to the termination of the PDP project, Baru said the ministry would try its best to absorb them but priority would be given to the locals.
“For those who are not absorbed, there are rules and regulations under the labour law. Claims and compensations must be paid and we will definitely honour that,” he added. - FMT
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