No change to work schedule of Pan Borneo project contractors, Sabah assembly told

KOTA KINABALU: There is no plan to force contractors of the Pan Borneo project to change their work schedule or add time to the existing hours, the Sabah state assembly was told.

State Assistant Public Works Minister Datuk Limus Jury said the work hours were under the jurisdiction of the contractors involved.

“Their working hours and schedules depend on various factors including weather conditions and requirements set by various government agencies,” he said when responding to questions at the state legislative assembly sitting here on Thursday (Dec 1).

Nominated assemblyman Dr Aliakbar Gulasan had asked in his supplementary question whether the state government planned to request these contractors work extra hours and off-peak hours to prevent road congestion.

He had also earlier asked what measures were being taken to ensure that all the packages under the Pan Borneo project could complete according to schedule.

On this, Limus said that Phase One of the project involved a total of 35 packages, out of which 15 were already completed.

He said each package was managed by different contractors and the government would constantly monitor their work progress.

He said both state and private agencies work together to ensure the smooth operations of the project.

Datuk Rubin Balang, the Kemabong assemblyman, asked when the Pan Borneo roads would start work in Keningau and other interior areas, to which Limus said it would depend on the new unity federal government’s funding and plans.

“So we have to wait and see when the unity federal government will give more funds for the Pan Borneo Highway to enter interiors including Keningau in Sabah,” he said.