Kota Kinabalu: Madius said the people of Tamparuli call for comprehensive solutions to various infrastructure problems, particularly disruptions in water and electricity supplies, pothole-ridden roads and economic challenges.
In light of this, he said Sabah still requires an estimated RM60 billion to fully upgrade some 4,355 kilometres of gravel roads under the Public Works Department (JKR) to paved roads.
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“In Tuaran alone, there are still 126 kilometres of gravel roads, and upgrading them would require about RM500 million.
“Hence, if Sabah’s annual revenue remained at around RM6.43 billion and no specific allocation was provided in the 2026 Budget for upgrading JKR gravel roads, the State could take as long as 200 years to complete the paving works.
“As a result, Sabah will be forced to seek assistance from the Federal Ministry of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) to address the problem through the Rural Roads Project (Jalan Luar Bandar – JALB),” he said.
According to him, a block building at SMK Tamparuli and SMK Tenghilan has been declared unsafe by the Public Works Department (JKR), and the people are placing their hopes on the 40 per cent entitlement to resolve these issues, rather than relying solely on federal allocations.
Madius also raised concerns over Sabah’s water supply situation, noting that the State’s treated water production reserve margin remained at a negative 11 per cent.
Under the 2026 Budget, he said only RM209.67 million had been allocated under Development Expenditure Head D.33, Item 0002, for the treated water supply programme, and that the funds are provided in the form of a loan from the Federal Government.
“This allocation is insufficient, and Sabah still has to borrow from the Federal Government to finance the full cost of developing its treated water supply infrastructure,” he said.
Separately, Madius warned that efforts to fully resolve treated water supply issues on Sabah’s West Coast by 2030 through the Upper Padas Dam project were unlikely to be achieved on schedule.
“The RM4 billion project, which is expected to generate 187 megawatts of electricity and supply raw water to the proposed Beaufort Water Treatment Plant with a capacity of more than 900 million litres per day, has yet to commence construction despite a groundbreaking ceremony held in early 2024.
“The delays were due to the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) between project developer Gamuda and Sabah Electricity remaining unsigned amid unresolved tariff negotiations. The tariff gap is significant, with Gamuda seeking a rate of 45 sen, while Sabah Electricity is pushing for a rate below 35 sen,” he said.
In the interest of time, Madius said the only viable option to resolve Sabah’s negative treated water reserve margin is to proceed immediately with the proposed Kaiduan Dam.
However, he said the Government must learn from past mistakes and shortcomings in the implementation of the Babagon Dam and compensation arrangements must be properly addressed before construction of the dam begins.
