KOTA KINABALU: While Parti Kerjasama Anak Negeri welcomed the assurances by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Anwar Ibrahim that the Federal Government is committed to fund and complete the Pan Borneo Road projects in Sabah, its Deputy President, Mr. Terence Tsen Kim Fatt, has questioned the delay or slow progress, perhaps due to poor implementation.
Terence, who is ANAK NEGERI Branch Chairman for Spanggar, said people were excited about the Pan Borneo Projects, but everyone is also asking why the long delay.
He said the ongoing works on Pan Borneo Road, including the construction of overpass bridges along Kota Kinabalu-Tuaran, are inconvenient to road users as the long delay disrupts the smooth flow of traffic.
He said the recent floods in Penampang, Inanam, Menggatal, and Telipok were largely attributed to the ongoing works on Pan Borneo Projects.
He said the people are calling for speedy completion of these Pan Borneo roads.
“Ten years delay is simply unacceptable given the facts Pan Borneo Sarawak is already completed,” he said in a statement today.
For that matter, he said state and federal leaders must clarify, explain, and justify the delay in completing the Pan Borneo roads in Sabah.
He said there are speculations about new Pan Borneo contract packages to be awarded.
“Local contractors, suppliers, and the local business community in Sabah were excited by the potential business spinoffs once works on Pan Borneo are in full swing.”
However, he said, the rumours about the new Pan Borneo contract packages have been circulating in coffee shops for more than 2 years, and yet nothing is actually happening.
“So far none has been awarded, and no one knows when. It is tantamount to hearing thunder in the sky but no rain,” said Terence, who stood for election under ANAK NEGERI but lost in Inanam.
He said without a plausible explanation, people can only speculate as to the real reasons why the Pan Borneo project is delayed or new ones not awarded.
“There are talks about lack of money, civil service inefficiency, contractor incompetence, and even political interference.”
He said rumours are taking a sinister turn when stories emerged that contractors are allegedly not willing to undertake the new Pan Borneo Projects because of doubts about fund commitment if there is to be a change of state or federal government.
He said the viability of the Pan Borneo Projects is in doubt because of street speculation that the state and the parliamentary elections in 2025 and 2027 would be very competitive.
Terence therefore urges the State Minister of Public Works and his counterpart at the federal level to come out with a plausible explanation.
“Otherwise, he said, the people of Sabah will draw their own conclusion and vote accordingly,” he said.
