KUCHING: Many Dayak contractors are disappointed that the recent proposal to build the much-anticipated Pan Borneo Highway under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) would only benefit the ‘big players’.
Julau MP Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum said he had been asked to express their dissatisfaction in his capacity as Dayak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) president, when debating on Budget 2015 in Parliament last week.
“They (the Dayak contractors) believe that this method only allows a giant concessionaire to obtain this mega project; thus complicating and eliminating the participation of other contractors, especially the Dayaks who have been left out in terms of contract opportunities.
“They are asking whether the financial resources of our government are so limited to the point that it cannot afford to complete a federal road (in) Pan Borneo Highway, which is meant as a ‘gift’ to the two states always considered the ‘fixed deposit’ for Barisan Nasional (BN)?
“Or probably – and perhaps, more precisely – the question is: ‘Why is it after 51 years of Malaysia’s existence, we are yet to have a federal road that we can be proud of?” he said in the debate speech made available to The Borneo Post yesterday.
Salang, on behalf of DCCI, suggested for the project to be divided into several packages, with the chamber also seeking the good offices of the government to allocate at least 30 per cent of Pan Borneo Highway (Sarawak Portion)’s cost estimates to its contractors in line with government’s efforts to close the economic gap between races.
“To facilitate its implementation, we propose that the allocation for Pan Borneo Highway (Sarawak Portion) to be channelled to the state government, with the state Public Works Department (JKR) acting as the key implementing agency.
“We believe that through this, the government will be able to minimise costs and at the same time, the people here will be truly convinced that the government is committed in developing Sarawak – the largest state in Malaysia,” he said.
On the other hand, Salang said if the government chose to proceed with the PFI method, he urged for assurance that the project could be completed much faster.
“Also, it will involve no less than 30 per cent of Dayak participation among local contractors and consultants, at all levels.”
On Aug 16, Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof announced that the Pan Borneo Highway would be built under the Public Private Partnership Unit of Prime Minister’s Department (Ukas) via PFI.
Fadillah was quoted in the media as saying that the initiative meant to speed up implementation of the project, which aimed at upgrading the present trunk road into a dual carriageway from Sematan in the state’s south all the way up to Serudong, Sabah.
Kalabakan MP Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh had been vocal against the project being built via PFI in Sabah, stressing that development projects in home state should be awarded to locals rather than appointing wealthy companies from the peninsula to do the job.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, when tabling Budget 2015, said the government would continue building the 1.6663km Pan Borneo Highway – comprising 936km in Sarawak and 727km in Sabah – at a cost of RM27 billion.
The project had long been anticipated by the people of the two East Malaysian states.