Shafie, Kurup trade accusations over Pan Borneo Highway delays

 

PARLIAMENT | Former Sabah chief minister Shafie Apdal and Deputy Works Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup pointed fingers at each other over the slow pace of the Pan Borneo Highway development in Sabah.

Shafie (Warisan-Semporna) questioned Kurup's claim that 65 percent of the Pan Borneo road had been completed.

"What is the measure used by the ministry because as far as I know, not even 50 percent of the roads are ready on the Pan Borneo Highway.

"Last night when I got back to Semporna, the main road was bumpy and there were no lights. This could lead to accidents.

"From Sandakan to Telupid, from Penampang to Sebitang, I want to ask the appointed companies: has the work been completed?" Shafie asked during Ministers Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He went on to question the standards applied to selecting the companies in question but praised Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob for giving approval for all the remaining 19 packages and a commitment for the frequently delayed project to be completed in five years.

Deputy Works Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup

‘Shafie’s administration to blame’

Kurup, in turn, laid the blame for the delay at the hand of Shafie's administration.

"We admit that compared to Sarawak, highway construction in Sarawak has reached more than 85 percent, but in Sabah, it is only 63 percent.

"But the main factor for that, which cannot be denied, is that there was a change in government in Sabah in 2018 when the Semporna MP himself became the chief minister and cancelled the project delivery partner (PDP) model at that time and this has delayed the implementation of the Pan Borneo Sabah,” Kurup said.

In 2019, the Pakatan Harapan federal government ditched the PDP model for the entire RM29 billion, 2,324km Pan Borneo Highway project in favour of the turnkey contractor model.

"If we compare with Sarawak, the policy is consistent, and the development is also consistent. If Sabah didn't make changes, maybe Sabah would also have the same progress status as Sarawak," Kurup added. - Mkini