By Datuk Ts Dr. Hj Ramli Amir, former President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Malaysia and Vice-President of CILT International for Southeast Asia
KOTA KINABALU: The 2026 political landscape brings a renewed sense of direction to Malaysia.
After years of shifting priorities and administrative changes, the nation is finding its footing once again.
The dust of elections has settled, and the people’s focus now turns to rebuilding trust, revitalising economies, and completing long-promised infrastructure — chief among them, the Pan Borneo Highway.
In Sarawak, years of planning and persistence have paid off, with its section of the highway nearing completion and already transforming travel and connectivity.
For Sabah, however, the story remains unfinished, and this gap is a daily reminder that vision alone is not enough; it demands disciplined execution. Now, more than ever, Sabah must rise to meet this challenge with a united front — government, agencies, and contractors alike.
The Promise and Purpose of the Highway
The Pan Borneo Highway was conceived as more than a transport link; it was designed to be the great connector of Bornean Malaysia.
For Sabah, whose vast geography often isolates districts from one another, the highway represents a path to liberation from logistical barriers and economic fragmentation.
Better connectivity will mean faster access to markets for rural farmers, more reliable logistics for industries, and a surge in domestic tourism to the state’s cultural and natural attractions.
It will also mean students can travel to educational centres more easily and medical services can reach remote areas more safely and quickly, turning infrastructure into a lifeline rather than just a line on a map.
Responsibilities of Contractors
At the heart of this effort stand the contractors entrusted with each work package — and with them, a clear, non-negotiable set of responsibilities. They are not merely building a road; they are executing a public mandate funded by taxpayers and entrusted to them under legal contracts.
Contractors must therefore:
Commit fully to the scope, timeline, and quality specified in their contracts, treating every clause as a binding obligation, not a suggestion.
Deploy sufficient manpower, machinery, and management capacity from day one, rather than ramping up slowly and blaming delays on “readiness” issues later.
Plan proactively for foreseeable challenges — weather, logistics, design coordination, and material supply — and address them through contingency measures, not as reasons for repeated time extensions.
There should be no more excuses rooted in poor planning, internal mismanagement, or avoidable disputes. Claims and variations must be managed transparently and professionally, without using them as pretexts to slow or stall progress.
A contractor that accepts a Pan Borneo package also assumes a duty to the people of Sabah and must be prepared to perform to that standard.
Accountability, Enforcement, and Integrity
To give these responsibilities real weight, enforcement must be firm and consistent. Contracts must be backed by clear performance indicators: milestones, quality benchmarks, and safety standards, all of which are monitored and reported regularly.
When contractors fail to meet their obligations without valid and proven reasons, the response must be decisive:
Impose contractual penalties, including liquidated damages, where justified.
Rectify poor workmanship at the contractor’s own cost without compromising safety or durability.
Reassign or terminate persistently underperforming contracts in line with legal provisions, and bar chronic underperformers from future strategic projects.
By the same measure, contractors who deliver on time and to a high standard should gain a reputation advantage and fair consideration for future work.
This balance of consequences — real penalties for failure and real recognition for excellence — is essential to move from a culture of excuses to a culture of delivery.
Collaboration Without Complacency
Partnership does not mean permissiveness. Federal and state agencies must work closely with contractors to resolve genuine bottlenecks, such as land acquisition, utility relocation, or design approvals.
Open channels of communication and timely decision-making are vital to ensure that technical and administrative issues do not become unnecessary obstacles.
However, collaboration must never be used as a cover for complacency. When external issues are resolved, contractors must respond with immediate acceleration, not inertia.
The message must be clear: the government will do its part, communities will bear temporary inconvenience—and contractors, in return, must honour their end fully.
Moving from Aspiration to Action
With politics stabilising, Sabah stands at the threshold of possibility. The momentum must now shift decisively from talk to tangible progress, measured in kilometres completed, bridges opened, and safety improved along the entire corridor.
Let this be the era when excuses are no longer part of the vocabulary of significant projects. The Pan Borneo Highway in Sabah must stand as an example of how clear contracts, firm oversight, and committed contractors can turn a long-delayed promise into a visible reality on the ground. With vision, integrity, and unwavering responsibility from every contractor, Sabah can and will complete its stretch of the Pan Borneo Highway — not slowly and reluctantly, but confidently and on terms that honour the trust of its people.
The completion of Sabah’s Pan Borneo Highway now depends not only on political stability and sound planning, but also on every contractor honouring their obligations in full, without delay or excuse.
The period of tolerance for underperformance has passed; what remains is a firm expectation of discipline, professionalism, and delivery.
