KOTA KINABALU: State Works Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin (pic) has chided the federal agencies for the delay in constructing Sabah’s side of the Pan Borneo Highway project.

       Noting that there was much delayed work with the road project due to reasons including change of management and governments over the past few years, he called on the state and federal agencies, especially the federal Finance Ministry, to fulfil the promises to implement the project as soon as possible.

       Bung also blamed the previous government’s move to terminate the project delivery partner (PDP) for the construction of the proposed highway without first securing sukuk or bonds as one of the main reasons for the delay.

       He said this had caused difficulties for the implementation of the project as funding depended solely on federal allocations, which was only RM1bil per year under the infrastructure allocation.

       “So RM1bil is only enough for two packages, whereas there are 22 remaining packages to complete,” Bung said after launching the first phase of the water supply system project in Lahad Datu yesterday.

       “So at this rate, we need to wait 20 years to get the project completed. What is the use of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) then? Please stop sleeping,” he said.

       “If you can’t respect Sabah’s rights, then don’t come to Sabah,” he said, referring to, among others, Finance Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz.

       Bung, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister, noted that in Sarawak, the Pan Borneo project was almost 80% complete.

       He said with the constant bad weather in Sabah, roads everywhere were damaged and needed immediate attention.

       “If you need to have meetings, please do them fast. Fulfil your promises. Complete the Pan Borneo project fast,” he stressed.

       Meanwhile, Bung said projects such as water supply and other infrastructure were in the midst of implementation in Sabah.

       “We expect to start getting these infrastructure allocations in February and projects that need immediate attention will commence first,” he said.