Sabah Railways told to hurry up
Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Railways Department and contractors of the over RM300 million railway upgrading project from Tanjung Aru to Tenom have been urged to expedite its completion.
Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri, who made the call, said the long overdue project needs to be completed immediately due to many complaints from the public who depend on the railway for transport.
He said the 134km project consists of two sectors, the first involving tracks from Tanjung Aru to Kimanis by Suria Capital Holding Berhad and that the progress of physical work now stood at 93 per cent.
The second sector involved upgrading work on the tracks from Kimanis to Tenom by Hikmat Asia Sdn Bhd and that the physical progress stood at 88 per cent.
"Basically, we want this project to be completed as soon as possible although there are several technical problems because it has been delayed since Nov 2005.
"In other words, the project has been delayed for about four years and there are many issues involved in the implementation of the project.
"Extension of time (EOT) had been given on Oct 2009 and now the EOT has already lapsed. Another EOT is yet to be given and it is already late," he said.
Abdul Rahim told a press conference after he was briefing by the project manager and consultants of the project at the operation room of the State Railways Department here, Friday.
Also present were Deputy Permanent Secretary to the Infrastructure Development Ministry Ahmad Hashim and State Railways Department General Manager Mohd Arshad Abdul Razak.
Abdul Rahim said the Ministry expects the upgrading work from Tanjung Aru to Beaufort to be at least completed within this year to facilitate the need for alternative public transportation.
He said rural villagers in Pangi, Rayoh and Tenom are the most affected as their villages have no access road.
http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=70172
