SIBU: Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing has requested Senior Minister of Works Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof to go down to the ground to closely monitor the development of the Pan Borneo Highway (PBH) project involving the Sibu-Bintulu road as compared to Bintulu and Miri.
He said it was unreasonable for the minister to review the construction performance of the highway project in Bintulu and Miri as the main problems occurred in the Sibu-Bintulu highway.
“I have travelled back and forth using the road many times and the condition of the road surface is very bad. Parts of the road are not paved with tar and not complying with the road standards.
“When asked about this problem, the Public Works Department (JKR) always gave many reasons,” he said in his statement, on Saturday.
Tiong stated that he had repeatedly questioned in the Dewan Rakyat on why there were no diversions made on the proper road surface for traffic routes.
Moreover, he stressed that the JKR often gave various reasons, including saying that it was related to the previous project approval.
“Even to this day there are no proper safety measures taken in areas under construction with unmanaged road management,” said Tiong.
Therefore, he hoped that the minister was aware of the situation as before the construction of the Pan Borneo highway, the road condition in the area was not as bad despite many sharp bends and narrow roads.
However, since the construction of the highway, the road is bad and very dusty when trucks and heavy vehicles pass by and this situation is very dangerous.
On the question of why the senior minister only focused on reviewing the highway construction project in Bintulu and Miri and not in Sibu, Tiong refused to make any comment.
Instead, he suggested that the relevant parties submit those questions to the minister themselves.
