Audit: Sabah railway upgrade not implemented efficiently

KUALA LUMPUR: The railway upgrading project in Sabah has not been implemented efficiently and effectively resulting in its late completion, according to the Auditor General's Report (LKAN) 2020 Series 1.

The report, released today, said the output performance for the additional upgrading work projects in the Gorge Line area between Halogilat Station and Tenom Station found that, as of September last year, actual progress was at 99.5 per cent with a delay of 192 days.

"The actual progress of the output performance for the procurement to design, manufacture, supply, delivery, testing and commissioning of three sets of New Diesel Multiple Units (DMU) and six units of New Non-Powered Car (NPC), as of November 2021, was at 92.9 per cent compared with the scheduled 93.8 per cent.

"The results have yet to be assessed for both projects," according to the report.

It also said that there were several weaknesses in project management that needed to be addressed, covering the construction area (rail track from Halogilat to Tenom) which had topographic issues as well as landslides, riverbank erosion and floods.

Apart from that, it also covers the approval period for extension of time (EoT), an extension of the contract and instruction order, which takes a long time, apart from ineffective monitoring by the Ministry of Transport and Sabah Railway Department (JKNS).

To ensure that it does not recur in the future, the report recommends that the issue of landslides and riverbank erosion be addressed by JKNS or the Sabah government, by providing adequate allocations.

It is also recommended that these issues be managed in an orderly, efficient and effective manner so that approval does not take a long time, apart from creating a more effective monitoring mechanism by taking follow-up action on issues raised, to be resolved immediately at every level.

The federal government has approved a total of RM95.49 million for the cost of the two projects, with the main objective being to provide efficient, quality and safe infrastructure and service coverage, with the target of providing public transport facilities to urban, suburban and rural residents.

-- BERNAMA