Sabah Chief Inspector of Projects Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak calls for closer inter-agency cooperation to resolve delays in Phase 1A of the Pan Borneo Highway.
KOTA KINABALU: Delays in Phase 1A of the Sabah Pan Borneo Highway project must be addressed through closer cooperation among the federal and state governments, consultants and contractors to prevent further setbacks.
Chief Inspector of Projects for Sabah Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said said responsibility for the delays should not rest solely with the Sabah government, as the project involved technical, administrative and financial challenges requiring coordination among multiple agencies.
“More than 70 per cent of the project involves widening existing federal roads from two to four lanes, requiring land acquisition, the resolution of issues involving buildings and residential settlements, and utility relocation,” he said in a statement today.
Salleh said a major cause of the delays was the need to revise original designs that did not fully reflect actual site conditions, requiring further assessments and coordination by consultants and technical experts appointed by the Works Ministry.
He said design changes could also increase costs, requiring technical assessments and financial approval from the Works Ministry and Finance Ministry.
Lengthy approval processes, he said, could further disrupt project implementation.
Salleh urged both ministries to establish faster and clearer approval mechanisms, particularly for variation orders (VOs) and adjustments to financial limits, to prevent recurring delays.
He said these mechanisms should be incorporated into the original contracts or formalised through supplementary agreements to clarify decision-making procedures and the responsibilities of each party.
“The people of Sabah do not need a blame game. They want to see this highway completed.
“What is needed is closer cooperation, faster decisions and more efficient approvals. Our priority must be clear: reduce delays, accelerate implementation and complete the project for the people of Sabah,” he said.
The Auditor-General’s Report 2026 identified 13 major findings involving weaknesses in the management of Phase 1 of the Sabah Pan Borneo Highway project. Of the 35 work packages under Phase 1, only four had been completed, while the remaining 31 were still under implementation as of Aug 25 this year.