KUCHING: The Malaysian Bumiputera Contractors Association (PKBM) has urged the Ministry of Works to fulfil its promise to award 30 per cent of the Sarawak portion of the Pan Borneo Highway project to Bumiputera companies especially from Sarawak.
PKBM Sarawak president Datuk Seri Abang Aditajaya Abang Alwi said the association had applied for a Bumiputera quota from Works Minister Baru Bian for several mega projects including the Pan Borneo Highway phase 1 and the Sarawak-Sabah Link Road.
“We requested that Bumiputera companies in Sarawak be given opportunities, and we will pay a courtesy visit to the minister soon,” he told Bernama after a courtesy visit to Sarawak Federal Secretary Mohd Shahabuddin Omar here yesterday.
Abang Aditajaya had earlier urged the ministry and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the number of contractors involved in the Sarawak portion of the project, saying their percentage was lower than the 30 per cent quota as claimed by Lebuh Raya Borneo Utara Bhd (LBU).
He said an LBU report to the government stating that the 30 per cent quota had been achieved is doubtful, noting the association had received 28 complaints from about 28 consortiums comprising 100 Grade G7 Bumiputera construction companies from throughout Sarawak.
The federal government officially issued a termination letter to LBU as the project delivery partner of the Sarawak Pan Borneo Highway project in September, with the Ministry of Works taking over phase 1 of the project in April this year.
Abang Aditajaya expressed hope the ministry will award the 30 per cent quota to Bumiputera contractors as promised earlier.
Launched in March 2015, the multi-billion ringgit dual carriageway project spanning 1,060 km is the federal government’s largest infrastructure project planned by the federal government for the state in 54 years, and once completed is set to be Sarawak’s transportation backbone. — Bernama