RM100 a token allocation for just 1 road project, says Fadillah

 

Works Minister Fadillah Yusof says Sabah will receive more than RM1 billion for highway projects and upgrading of roads and bridges. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Works Minister Fadillah Yusof has rubbished claims by a former Sabah deputy chief minister the state will only receive an allocation of RM100 to develop highways next year. Instead, he said, the RM100 was for “only one project”.

Former Sabah deputy chief minister Wilfred Madius Tangau had said last week the state had only been allocated RM100 for the construction of major roads next year, but Fadillah clarified today the allocation was just for one project.

“The RM100 token allocation is for the road upgrading project from Donggongon to Papar-Spur (Phase 2 and 3) which has now achieved 90% progress and needs to be completed by Dec 31, 2020. Donggongon is about 37km from Papar.

“The ministry would like to state that the Tuaran MP is referring to one of the details under Development Purpose P27 for this ministry,” said Fadillah in a statement today.

“However, following the variation order (VO) for the project, the RM100 token allocation must be prepared for the purpose of transferring the allocation if the VO is approved by the finance ministry later.”

Fadillah said Sabah also received a proposed allocation of RM1.18 billion under the details of “Other Projects”, which include a RM1 billion allocation to fund the implementation of the Sabah Pan Borneo Highway project.

He said an allocation of RM100 million was also proposed under “Other Details” in Sabah, among them for building new roads, road upgrading, narrow and old bridge replacement and slope repair.

He said the works ministry had also proposed that RM80 million be allocated for road maintenance next year for more than 1,400km of federal roads in Sabah.

Tangau told FMT last week that “the allocations for major road construction given to Sabah for 2021 is only RM100”, a huge drop from the RM60 million allocated for the same purpose this year.

“I thought that when Sabah is politically aligned to the federal government, there will be more allocations. So why only RM100 … where’s the logic in this?

“This is an insult to Sabah and Sabahans,” he said. - FMT