RM2.53 billion to acquire land for Pan Borneo project

KOTA KINABALU (Nov 19): A total of RM2.53 billion has been spent on land acquisition for Phase 1 of the Pan Borneo Highway project in Sabah, said State Works Minister Datuk Ir Shahelmey Yahya.

Shahelmey said this figure is divided into RM1.32 billion for Phase 1A and RM1.21 billion for Phase 1B, where the compensation payments were settled through procedures set by the Land and Survey Department, including gazetting, evaluations, giving and receiving offers, acceptance of payments and then the payment process.

“One of the big challenges in the Pan Borneo Highway project is land acquisition, especially land under customary ownership.

“Land owned by individuals or communities based on Native Customary Right (NCR) has a longer process, since they require approval from the land owner and legal approvals.

“Apart from that, the lack of manpower in the Land and Survey Department also contributes to delays in the assessment and land acquisition process,” he told a State Assembly sitting here on Tuesday.

Shahelmey was responding to nominated assemblyman Datuk Seri Yong Teck Lee who had inquired on the amount of compensation paid by the State Government to the land owners involved in the Pan Borneo Highway project in Sabah so far.

Earlier, the minister said the Sabah Pan Borneo Highway Project is divided into three phases.
Phase 1 is divided into 35 packages, where Phase 1A and Phase 1B span a total of 706 kilometres (km).

Under Phase 1, the construction of four work packages have been completed, 28 are under construction, two are at the procurement finalisation stage, while one is at the issuance of Letters of Acceptance (SST) stage.

“For Phase 1A which is currently under construction, it is expected to be completed by October 2026, while Phase 1B is expected to be completed in its entirety by September 2028.

“For Phase 2 involving the Tamparuli-Ranau stretch with an estimated distance of around 98km and Phase 3 of the Kimanis-Keningau-Kalabakan-Tawau stretch with a distance of around 432km, they are still in the planning stage,” he said, adding that the project implementation is dependent on government approval and financial ability.