KUALA LUMPUR – Former Sabah deputy chief minister Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau (PH-Tuaran) has questioned why the states of Sabah and Sarawak are experiencing the highest number of delayed federal projects, often with the longest delays, and asked the government to identify the contributing factors.
During a debate on the 2024 Auditor-General’s Report in the Dewan Rakyat, Tangau – who is the honorary president of the United Progressive Kinabalu Organisation (Upko) – highlighted that four sick projects in Sabah and one in Sarawak have recorded the longest delays in delivery.
The projects in Sabah include the construction of the Libaran bypass road in Sandakan, renovations to Hospital Beaufort, the construction of the SEDCO Small-Medium Industry Park in Sepanggar, and the Program Perumahan Rakyat Jalan Tungku in Lahad Datu.
@madiustangau #tuaranaspirasiku ♬ original sound – Madius Tangau
These projects have seen delays of 1,021 days, 952 days, 678 days, and 670 days, respectively. Madius pointed out that many of these projects date back to the 10th and 11th Malaysian Plans.
“I would like to ask: why are there so many sick projects with the longest delays in Sabah and Sarawak, but not in the peninsula?
“Is this due to a lack of project monitoring, the appointment of unsuitable contractors, or faulty implementation?
“If it’s faulty implementation, then why do we keep seeing the same problems repeated?
“Sick projects have been recurring for a long time, causing significant financial losses for the government,” he said while debating the audit report in the lower house.
Madius also pressed Putrajaya on how it plans to ensure the completion of delayed projects from past Malaysian Plans within this year.
Additionally, he questioned whether there would be changes in the government’s project monitoring process and what the longest extension of time for project completion the government would be willing to tolerate. – October 18, 2024