KUALA LUMPUR – Half of the federal roads in Sabah are still not paved, yet the state is getting a mere RM100 allocation for major road constructions next year, said Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau.
He said out of 23,000km of federal roads in the state, only 50%, or 11,000km, are paved, compared with 81% in the peninsula and 61% in Sarawak.
He said even the state’s paved federal roads (307km, including the Mile 32 Sandakan-Telupid stretch and Kalabakan road) are severely damaged and “unmaintainable”.
“These two roads are in such bad conditions that they can no longer be maintained – they have to be rebuilt. This will cost about RM969 million – RM228 million for resurfacing, RM336 million for minor rehabilitation and RM325 million for major rehabilitation.
“That is why I submitted a motion for the RM1 billion allocation from the peninsula’s ‘Other Constructions’ to be distributed for roads in Sabah and Sarawak. But my motion was rejected today due to technical problems.
“The question is how is the Finance Ministry dividing these allocations? What is their priority?” asked Tangau, who is Upko president, at a press conference here today.
He said he felt insulted by the RM100 allocation under Budget 2021 for major roads and road repairs, respectively, for Sabah, allocated through the Works Ministry.
The allocation for major roads and road repairs in Sabah this year were RM60,000 and RM1.3 million, respectively.
Earlier, Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof reportedly said the RM100 allocation for major roads in Sabah was a token allocation for one project – the upgrading of Donggongon to Papar-Spur (Phases 2 and 3), adding that the project has achieved 90% progress and needs to be completed by December 31.
Donggongon is about 37km from Papar.
Fadillah said following the variation order (VO) for the project, the RM100 token allocation must be prepared for the purpose of transferring the allocation if the VO is approved by the Finance Ministry later.
To this, Tangau said if the allocation was meant for the Donggongon-Papar road, then the budget should have been transparent about it.
“Why was the detail not mentioned? That is why we are asking for transparency of the budget and sufficient allocation for Sabah’s development.”
He also asked the government to stop using the Pan Borneo Highway project allocation as an excuse for Sabah’s allocation.
“There are 23 pending packages in the Pan Borneo Highway project (Sabah), and only two were approved for next year. The government is not even certain if these two projects will commence next year.
“The Finance Ministry does not care about the remaining 21 packages. So, stop telling us that Sabah has been given allocation through the Pan Borneo Highway Project when there is no certainty and no commitment,” Tangau said.
Meanwhile, Sepanggar MP Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman said even if the RM100 allocation is for the repair of the Donggongon-Papar road, it is still an absurd amount.
“This is an insult. Show me which contractor can repair a road with only RM100,” he said.
Last week, Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) activist Zainnal Ajamain told The Vibes that Putrajaya is not honouring the federal constitution with the RM100 allocation.
“Putrajaya should at least base the quantum of allocation on the length of roads in the state as under Tenth Schedule Part II 6(1).
“Under the State Road Grant 6(1), the grant payable to Sabah or Sarawak shall, in each of the years 1964 and 1965, be payable at the rate of $4,500 (Malaysian dollars then) a mile in respect of mileage in Sabah of 1,151 miles and in Sarawak of such amount as may be agreed between the federal and state governments,” he said. – The Vibes, December 7, 2020.
