KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has received 141 federal development projects, each worth under RM50 million, from various ministries under the Third Rolling Plan of the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) with a total value of RM1.635 billion, the state assembly was told today (November 28).
Deputy Chief Minister III, Datuk Shahelmey Yahya, said 61 projects costing RM8.967 million – 60 Health Ministry projects and one Rural and Regional Development Ministry project – received the Treasury Order 182 exemption.
"Another 15 projects with a total value of RM316.563 million were given exemptions based on applications made by various federal ministries as owner agencies, he said when winding up the debate on the 2024 Sabah Budget at the sitting.
The Treasury Order 182 referes to all non-technical departments having to obtain services from technical departments, such as the Public Works Department (PWD) or the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID), to implement all work projects, subject to enforced guidelines.
Shahelmey, who is the state Public Works Minister, said the final list of projects implemented by the Sabah Public Works Department (PWD) was 65 projects with a total cost of RM1.3 billion, and from that total, 44 projects are expected to be tendered this year with another 21 projects to be tendered next year.
Currently, 17 out of the 44 projects listed were in procurement stage with expenditure costs totalling RM824,200.
"Nine projects have been tendered, one is waiting for the decision of the procurement board, four will be tendered next month, and three are expected to be tendered in early January next year," he said.
Meanwhile, state Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, Datuk Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif, said when winding up the debate that Sabah Net Sdn Bhd has managed to upgrade Internet services at 607 government locations (81 per cent), with minimum speeds of 100Mbps, and that upgrading work will continue at 393 locations in phases, and will be completed by 2025.
"A total of 12 out of 31 e-Desa centres have also been upgraded with fibreoptic cables with a minimum speed of 300Mbps and the remaining 19 centres will be upgraded in stages as well," he said. — Bernama