State Government must come clean on the 16 “sick” projects in Sabah – Christina Liew

21 March 2022

By Wartawan Nabalu News

KOTA KINABALU: Api Api Assemblywoman Datuk Christina Liew has urged the State Government to come clean on the 16 "sick" projects in Sabah as disclosed by the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Economy), Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, recently.

"According to him, Sabah has the highest number of "sick" projects (16), among the affected states. Why is it happening in Sabah? Where has it gone wrong?" Liew asked.

The Government, she said, must be transparent and reveal all these projects as the matter is of State interest.

"Do not trivialise this problem. Has the State Government taken action to address and rectify these delayed projects? The people want to know what remedial measures have been taken to expedite the implementation and completion of these projects.

Meanwhile, Liew drew the Assembly's attention to the delayed Tawau Hospital Construction and Upgrade project which was acknowledged in the Dewan Rakyat recently as one of the two "sick" projects in Sabah under the Health Ministry (KKM). JKR Malaysia is the implementing agency for the project.

"It should have been completed in May 2020 under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP). What is going on in the Government? Is the Government doing anything about it?" she queried. "Be transparent and tell us what is happening, and perhaps we will try to understand and be patient."

The Federal funds allocated for the Tawau Hospital Upgrade project must be utilised to get it completed as soon as possible or within the shortest possible time, she added.

On the other matter, she also stated her support to the State Government if it proposed to rename the position of Sabah's head of government from 'Chief Minister' to 'Premier' as in the case of Sarawak.

"The proposal for a change of title from 'Chief Minister' to 'Premier' befits the recent amendment to the Federal Constitution to restore the status of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners within the Federation of Malaysia under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63)," she said.

The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2021, which proposed to restore Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners to Malaya in the Federation of Malaysia in line with the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), was passed in the Dewan Rakyat on December 14, 2021.

Usage of the "Premier" title is a practice in many other countries, including Canada, China and South Africa, and states, including New South Wales in Australia, Liew added.