Pan Borneo Sarawak: PDP officially terminated, construction to continue as usual, says Baru Bian

KUCHING (Sept 27): The Federal Government has officially issued a termination letter to Lebuhraya Borneo Utara Sdn Bhd (LBU), the project delivery partner (PDP) for the Pan Borneo Highway project in Sarawak, says Works Minister Baru Bian.

He said the letter was issued last Friday.

Despite the termination, he said that all the 11 work package contracts (WPCs) for the 786.41km highway on the Sarawak side would be continued by previously appointed contractors.

“Let me emphasise, all the main contractors for the WPCs will still be novated, they will still go on. No issue with that.

“As far as I am concerned, once LBU is terminated, all the WPCs should be novated, that’s the idea with this project,” he told reporters when met after chairing a joint Sarawak and Federal Government Action Council meeting here, today.

Launched in March 2015, the multibillion-ringgit project was slated as the biggest infrastructure development project undertaken by the Federal Government in Sarawak in 54 years. The toll-free highway will be the main artery connecting Sabah and Sarawak.

On another note, pertaining to the progress of building new hospitals in the state, Baru said all three projects in Lawas, Miri and Petrajaya were in the process of being tendered out, while the hospital in Sri Aman was expected to ready by January next year.

“They (state medical department officers during the meeting) were talking about the completion date in January 2020, but I told them you better expedite the whole thing. Hopefully (there is) no more delay.

“And as far as these hospitals are concerned, all will be tendered out except for Sri Aman, which is ongoing. This means that all projects will be implemented,” he said.