Federal Government Allocates RM2.4 Billion For Sabah Federal Road Projects Under 13MP
KOTA KINABALU: The federal government has allocated RM2.4 billion for federal road projects in Sabah under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) through the First Rolling Plan 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen road infrastructure and the state’s construction sector.
Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi said the ministry remains committed to enhancing technical capacity and project monitoring in Sabah to ensure smoother and more effective project implementation.
According to him, inadequate project capacity can lead to various issues including delays, rising costs and abandoned projects.
“When capacity is insufficient, many challenges arise during project implementation, leading to increased costs and delays in completion,” he said during a press conference held in conjunction with the International Construction Week (ICW) Borneo and BuildXpo today.
He said out of the RM2.4 billion allocation, RM1.845 billion has been designated for road construction works, RM35.5 million for slope repair programmes, RM6.6 million for bridge projects and RM34.5 million for preliminary works.
In addition, the government has allocated RM512.17 million this year for federal road maintenance in Sabah covering routine repairs, bridge maintenance, slope stabilisation and traffic systems.
According to him, the allocation represents a 31.29 per cent increase compared to last year following public complaints regarding road conditions in Sabah.
“We understand the people’s frustrations over road conditions in Sabah. There are indeed issues that need to be addressed, but it must also be understood that the Ministry of Works and the Public Works Department are only responsible for federal roads,” he said.
He clarified that state and local roads fall under the Sabah government through the Malaysian Road Records Information System (Maris).
Alexander Nanta said allocations for smaller maintenance works have also increased significantly from RM50 million to RM200 million this year, representing a 300 per cent rise.
He added that the increase would create more opportunities for local contractors, particularly those in categories G1 to G4, as Sabah now has more than 170 project packages compared to fewer than 100 previously.
“This approach not only helps accelerate maintenance works but also stimulates the local economy by giving more opportunities to smaller companies,” he said.
At the same time, he said the ministry has tightened project monitoring through regular site visits by senior officials and special task forces to ensure all projects comply with required specifications and standards.
“We want to ensure there are no leakages and that every project is closely monitored so implementation can be carried out with better quality and integrity,” he said.
Alexander Nanta also noted that the construction industry is increasingly driven by digitalisation and modern technologies including Building Information Modelling (BIM), which previously helped generate cost savings for the Pan Borneo Highway project in Sarawak.
According to him, BIM technology will also be implemented for the Sabah stretch of the Pan Borneo Highway to improve project efficiency and cost management.
He added that initiatives such as Akademi Binaan Malaysia (ABM) Sabah continue to play an important role in training local youth, while a new testing laboratory ensures construction materials meet safety and quality standards.
-wilayah.com.my
