Pan Borneo Highway: The govt to absorb RM2.8b land reclaim cost

KUALA LUMPUR: The government will absorb the RM2.8 billion cost to reclaim land for the Pan Borneo Highway project in Sabah and Sarawak.
Deputy Works Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said this cost includes the resolving the caveat or objections in acquiring the land.
"The cost to reclaim the land and to resolve problems on the said land for the total stretch of Pan Borneo Highway Sabah is estimated at RM2 billion whereas for Pan Borneo Highway Sarawak is RM800 million. These costs will be fully borne by the government," she told the Dewan Rakyat today.
Rosnah was responding to Wong Ling Biu (BN-Sarikei), who asked the government to state the compensation rates for crops and lands which are affected by the Pan Borneo Highway project and the basis of assessment made for the lands involved.
She said the land reclamation process and compensation rates to the land owners will be done by the state governments through the respective land agencies.
The land acquisition including compensation value is made based on the provisions in the existing land legislation that is Sabah Land Ordinance 1930 and Sarawak Land Code 1958.
"The land owners, who have the ownership documents, will receive compensation based on the assessment of the current real estate market prices.
"For the residents with land ownership based on the native customary house, the land compensation payment value including the cost of building structures and plantations, will also be made according to the current value determined by the state land department," Rosnah said.
She said the state governments have agreed to consider ex-gratia payment for the squatters and their plantations on government owned lands, which will be used for the project.
The first phase of Pan Borneo Highway in Sabah involving a 706km stretch from Sindumin to Tawau will be fully completed by Dec 31, 2021.
The first package of the 706km involving an 11.7km stretch from Papar to Dondongan has begun last month.
It was reported that the Pan Borneo Highway in Sabah will cost RM13 billion compared to RM16 billion for 1,090km stretch in Sarawak.
The total length of the Pan Borneo Highway is reported to be 2,239km.