Works Minister: Phase 2 of Pan Borneo Highway in Sarawak undergoing technical study

KUALA LUMPUR (July 25): The mechanism and implementation of the second phase of the Pan Borneo Highway mega project is undergoing a technical study that will be completed soon along with the Finance Ministry and the Sabah and Sarawak state governments, Works Minister Baru Bian told the Dewan Rakyat today.

“The first phase of the project now under construction is from Teluk Melano to Miri, an estimated distance of 765km, in 11 packages.

“The second phase, from Limbang to Lawas, is under a study in terms of finance,” Baru said in  reply to a parliamentary question by Datuk Fadillah Yusof (PBB-Petra Jaya) who wanted to know the status of the second phase of the project in Sarawak, Bernama reported.

Baru said the highway in Sarawak also involved the upgrading of existing roads to four lanes over 706km that covered the implementation under the first phase in 35 packages.

He said the 12 packages under construction would continue to be implemented while the remaining 23 packages were still in various stages of implementation.

In a report by The Edge this week, Baru said Putrajaya will honour all contracts linked to the RM29 billion, 2,325km Pan Borneo Highway mega project even as the government endeavours to shave the price tag.

“Projects that had been signed and duly assigned to the appropriate contractors will be continued unless there are issues raised against them,” the weekly reported Baru saying.

He explained that “scrutiny” of the highway project is part of an overall review of all infrastructure projects under the purview of the Works Ministry.

Studying ways to slash the cost is among the “fundamental” considerations powering the review, Baru added.