World · Malaysia Bureau
Sabah Pan-Borneo Highway progress exceeds audit report figures, says deputy chief minister
Dr Joachim Gunsalam contends that actual construction progress on the major infrastructure project substantially outpaces the 11.4% completion rate cited in the auditor-general's findings.
LSN Malaysia ·
The deputy chief minister of Sabah has pushed back against the auditor-general's assessment of progress on the Pan-Borneo Highway, asserting that real advancement on the ground is considerably higher than officially reported.
Dr Joachim Gunsalam attributed the discrepancy to methodology, arguing that the auditor-general's measurement only accounted for fully-handed over contract packages rather than overall physical construction work completed across the project.
The Pan-Borneo Highway represents a significant infrastructure initiative for the state, with the project intended to improve connectivity across Sabah. The divergence between the audit office's findings and the state government's assessment has raised questions about how project progress is being evaluated.
The clarification from the deputy chief minister suggests that while completion of formal handover stages may lag, substantial construction and development activities are progressing at a faster pace than the 11.4% figure indicates.
The state government's position indicates it believes the audit metric does not fully capture the extent of work already undertaken on Malaysia's major East Malaysian infrastructure development.