The Works Ministry will fully take over the Pan Borneo Highway project by the end of September, its minister Baru Bian said today.

According to Baru, progress payments will first have to be made accordingly, after which the ministry will take over from the project delivery partner (PDP).

“Notices (on payable amount) have been issued to them (PDP) as they are paid according to the ongoing work progress. Currently, work is still ongoing, including monitoring and supervision. 

"However, once the notice period ends in September, the ministry will take over the project completely,” he told reporters after launching the Pan Borneo Dashboard Application System in Kota Kinabalu.

The Sabah government will monitor and supervise the project, including the issuance of tenders, he said.

Baru also said that the remaining 20 work packages for the Pan Borneo project in Sabah will be carried out in the 12th Malaysia Plan (RMK 12), but financial constraints meant those packages could not be included in RMK 11 as previously requested by the state government.

He said, meanwhile, that the Pan Borneo Dashboard Application System – developed by work package contractor Pembinaan Kekal Mewah with the close support of the ministry – was a one-stop digitalised platform used to aid in the successful implementation of the construction of the highway.

He said the dashboard enables all the vital dynamic information, processes, data and files which are streamed live from the project to be loaded onto a simple platform accessible to all stakeholders involved.

“Information related to the work package such as project progress, material status, land information and manpower are updated live.

"The management graphs and counters enable online monitoring of the progress of the work packages contractors and also all agencies involved.

“The Global Information Systems-tracked highway map enables tracking and monitoring of the land acquisition and utility movement, which is the biggest challenge of the highway construction.

Baru said detailed information on land issues such as the terrain, compensation and documentation are also accessible in the system.

“Such a system is crucial in ensuring smooth and timely progress of the highway construction.

“The earlier the project is completed, the earlier Sabahans can enjoy the first toll-free highway in Sabah, that is on par with the peninsula that would further enhance road connectivity here in this state,” he said.

- Bernama