PKR-linked corruption watchdog Jingga 13 lodged a report today with the Sabah office of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), over possible corruption in the construction of “Malaysia’s most expensive stretch of road”.

The road is the 0.9km single carriageway linking the Sabah Foundation building with the state assembly building in Kota Kinabalu at a cost of RM14.9 million.

NONE The matter had been first highlighted by Bukit Antarabangsa MP Azmin Ali (left) during the last sitting of the Parliament.

He cited newspaper reports on the state Public Works Department’s (PWD) announcement of the cost of the road, which was launched by Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman.

However, Deputy Works Minister Yong Khoon Seng, who fielded Azmin's question, said the topic had veered too far off the original question, which was on the status of upgrading works on the Kota Kinabalu-Sindumin stretch.

Yong refused to comment further in the House, only saying that such matters are always open for debate, but in the proper forum.

Jingga 13 has claimed that the cost of a comparable stretch of road with high-end specifications, including bridges and other add-ons, would only have been RM1 million.

“The road also had no divider between the two single lanes,” it pointed out in a statement.

It urged the MACC to open a file on the report and to investigate:

  • The chief minister
  • The deputy chief minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan who is also infrastructure development minister
  • The state PWD director
  • The firm awarded the contract to build the road
Jingga 13 said it hopes that the investigations will determine if elements of corruption and misuse of public funds have occurred. If so, those culpable should face justice.