KOTA KINABALU: Sabah UMNO Electiom Director, Jeffery Nor Mohamed, emphasised that the announcement of the steel project in 2022 indicated that the first phase would commence in the fourth quarter of 2023 and is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2025, with an investment value of approximately 1.29 billion USD, equivalent to RM5.8 billion.
He said that any development plan submissions that involve state financial progress and the creation of job opportunities for the people should have reduced bureaucracy and not take years to process.
Jeffery also questioned the rationale behind the lengthy approval process for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report and the delays in its completion.
He remarked that many of the terms mentioned by the Sabah Minister of Industrial Development, Phoong Jin Zhe, regarding the project are subjective.
“Do these statements and justifications not reflect the actual situation?” he said in a statement today.
Yesterday, Phoong was quoted as saying that the claims of investment delays by Esteel Enterprise Sabah Sdn Bhd were unfounded and stemmed from a loss of confidence in the state government.
Therefore, Jeffery expressed his hope that all announcements related to development projects are not merely for appeasement but should be implemented effectively, ultimately benefiting the people of Sabah.
