PETALING JAYA: A Sabah DAP leader has told Warisan to own up to its role in the Pan Borneo Highway project's delays, citing the termination of the project delivery partner (PDP) contract.
Sabah DAP publicity secretary Thien Ee Hang pointed out that Warisan president Shafie Apdal had admitted to having personally recommended scrapping the PDP model when he was Sabah chief minister in 2019.
He said Shafie told the Dewan Rakyat this on Oct 19 and that the Semporna MP had made the recommendation to then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and then finance minister Lim Guan Eng.
“His admission is recorded in the official parliamentary Hansard. (Warisan deputy president) Darell Leiking cannot simply pretend it does not exist,” Thien said in a statement.
He accused Leiking of selectively recounting the cancellation of the PDP model.
"Warisan should now explain its position openly. It cannot wash its hands of the matter and point fingers at other parties and leaders when problems arise, and the public starts asking who was responsible," he said.
This comes after Leiking reportedly questioned those who blamed Warisan for scrapping the PDP model for the Pan Borneo Highway when it was Lim who announced the decision.
Leiking had said this decision was not made solely by Shafie's state administration but also the Pakatan Harapan-led federal government.
Earlier this month, the auditor-general's report revealed that only four of the 35 packages for the project, or 11.4%, had been fully completed as of March 31. It said the remaining 31 packages were still being implemented.
Critics claimed that the PDP cancellation resulted in the highway's massive delay, but Shafie has denied terminating the contracts of any contractor involved in the project.