KOTA KINABALU: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) is cautioning Sabahans against Warisan’s revived railway proposal, calling it a recycled promise the party failed to deliver when it governed the state.
GRS Supreme Council member Datuk John Ambrose said voters should be wary of Warisan’s new pitch, noting that the previous 175 km Kota Kinabalu–Kudat railway idea never went beyond feasibility discussions during Warisan’s 2018–2020 administration.
“Warisan talked up rail expansion before but nothing concrete happened. If Shafie thought it was crucial for Sabah, why stop just because the price tag was RM5.2 billion?” he said.
He said Warisan is repackaging old ideas without explaining how they plan to fund or implement them, adding that claims about a China company ready to build the network in three to four years are just more big numbers for political theatre.
John argued Sabahans have no reason to trust a promise that failed once already.
He said GRS, in contrast, took realistic steps by updating technical assessments, reviewing alignment options and coordinating with the federal government, including on early Trans Borneo Railway discussions.
“We didn’t make premature promises. We made sure the groundwork was right before talking about mega projects,” he said.
John also pointed to Warisan’s past decisions that triggered disruptions, including terminating long term private water concession contracts in 2019 and ending the PDP model, which contributed to delays in the Pan Borneo Highway.
He said these decisions showed poor planning and unnecessary risks to the state.
“Now they’re back promoting a railway plan they themselves admitted they couldn’t carry out,” he said.
