PETALING JAYA: The construction of a RM600 million customs, immigration, quarantine and security (CIQS) complex and staff quarters in Kalabakan, Sabah, has been put on hold as no funds were given by the finance ministry.
Works minister Fadillah Yusof said the project in Serudong, which was part of the Jalan Kalabakan-Serudong package of the Trans-Borneo Highway, had been approved by Putrajaya in the 2020 budget, with RM10 million allocated for early works.
“However, in June 2020, the finance ministry decided it would not proceed with some of the initiatives announced in the budget.
“Because of that, early works could not continue as there were no funds being channelled to this ministry,” he said in a written reply to a parliamentary question from Ma’mun Sulaiman (Warisan-Kalabakan).
Ma’mun had asked the minister on the government’s readiness to approve funds for the construction of the CIQS complex and staff quarters to boost economic activity in the area.
Fadillah said the ministry was realigning its development strategy for the network of highways in East Malaysia, including the Trans-Borneo Highway, with Indonesia moving its capital to Nusantara.
He said the government had already stated its commitment to implementing the Trans-Borneo Highway project at a Cabinet meeting on March 4.
“The ministry will study the proposal for the Jalan Kalabakan-Serudong stretch of the Trans-Borneo Highway project when requested by the Sabah government. We will consider raising this proposal to federal agencies, subject to the priority of this project and the ministry’s development fund ceiling,” he said.
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