SANDAKAN: Sandakan Member of Parliament Vivian Wong Shir Yee expressed disappointment with the Ministry of Works (KKR) over what she described as an incomplete response regarding the delayed Jambatan Merah Road project at Mile 1½ Jalan Utara, which has been classified as a sick project.
She said the ministry’s written reply failed to address several key questions raised in Parliament, including the project cost, allocations and payments to the contractor, reasons for the delay, additional funding required under Budget 2027, and the expected completion date and full reopening of the road to traffic.
According to Vivian, the ministry’s response focused mainly on the termination of the original contract and the ongoing retendering process, leaving other critical questions unanswered.
“The project has been delayed for far too long, and the people deserve a clear explanation. Yet, the Ministry of Works has failed to provide comprehensive answers to the questions I raised in Parliament,” she said.
Vivian stressed that Sandakan residents needed concrete updates on the project’s progress, a clear implementation schedule and a firm completion date, rather than repeated explanations about the retendering process.
She said the prolonged delay had inconvenienced road users and raised concerns about project management, implementation and oversight.
She vowed to raise the matter again during the upcoming parliamentary debate, urging the ministry to take public concerns seriously and provide a comprehensive explanation of the problems affecting the project.
She also called on the authorities to strengthen monitoring of the incoming contractor to ensure that work proceeds according to schedule and that similar delays are not repeated.
In its reply to Vivian’s parliamentary question, the Ministry of Works identified the project as the replacement of the bridge at KM 295.56 along the Tamparuli–Sandakan Road (FS022/295/56).
The ministry said the original contract was terminated on October 1, 2025, and that the project was undergoing a retendering process. The appointment of a replacement contractor is expected to be finalised in December 2026.
In the meantime, the Sabah Public Works Department (JKR) is implementing a Traffic Management Plan (TMP) and carrying out routine maintenance to safeguard road users until the new contractor is appointed.
However, the ministry’s response did not specify the project’s expected completion date or the amount of additional funding required to resume and complete the works.
Vivian maintained that the people of Sandakan deserved greater transparency and accountability, with clear timelines and tangible progress towards completing the long-delayed project. – James Leong
‘The project has been delayed for far too long, and the people deserve a clear explanation. Yet, the Ministry of Works has failed to provide comprehensive answers to the questions I raised in Parliament’ – Vivian
