The Sabah MP is cheering for the JALB project.

KUALA LUMPUR, 29 Oct: Sabah MP urged the government to channel RM59.5 million allocation balance to complete pending rural road project (JALB) payment deadline.

Member of Parliament for Penampang, Datuk Ewon Benedick said the payment was important to restore local contractor roundabout capital and ensure that implementation of rural infrastructure projects is not continuously affected.

He said 112 JALB projects across the country recorded interim payments to contractors and land compensation totalling RM259.503 million as of September 30 this year.

"Although the Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced an additional injection of RM200 million, this figure clearly still failed to close the critical existing waiting loophole", he said.

He said this at a press conference of Sabah MPs in the Lok Sabha today.

According to Ewon, Sabah recorded expectations of RM118.84 million for 35 projects, while Sarawak recorded RM73.52 million for 34 projects.

Meanwhile, he said the states in Peninsular Malaysia recorded a budget of RM67.14 million involving 43 projects.

Apart from the issue of pending payment, he also asked the government to review the decision to cancel and postpone JALB projects in the state.

Ewon said, out of the 72 projects affected in Sabah and Sarawak, 26 projects had their tender process canceled, 13 each in each state, while 46 others were suspended from issuing Letter of Acceptance (SST).

"Sarawak recorded 39 projects affected by the SST postponement compared to seven in Sabah, following the order dated 10 September 2026", he said.

In this regard, he said the Sabah MPs supported the official letter of appeal from the Government of Sarawak dated 9 October and urged the government to reopen the negotiating space for the cancelled and postponed projects.

He said the issue should be taken seriously as it could affect the development of basic infrastructure needed by rural communities.

On 26 October, Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi during the rolling discussion of the Policy-level Supply Bill 2027 in the Lok Sabha revealed that there are rural development projects in Sabah and Sarawak which have been directed to be cancelled even though the allocation has been approved. -TVS