Bung Moktar demands transparency over cancelled RM4 billion gas pipeline project funds

KOTA KINABALU (Mac 3): The government’s decision to cancel the RM4 billion Trans Sabah Gas Pipeline (TSGP) project was initially justified by claims that the funds would be redirected to other strategic sectors, such as electricity, industry and petrochemicals in Sabah.

“However, a major question remains unanswered, how much of this has actually been realized?”asked Umno Sabah chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.

“I urge the government to provide clear and transparent evidence that the TSGP funds have indeed been reallocated to the mentioned sectors. What are the specific mechanisms and projects that have been implemented using these funds? How much has been allocated to each sector?” asked Bung Moktar in a statement on Saturday.

He pointed out that the TSGP project was an initiative that was supposed to bring significant benefits to the people of Sabah, particularly in developing a more efficient gas and energy infrastructure.

Its cancellation has raised various concerns about the government’s commitment to the state’s development.

“If the funds were truly redirected to the electricity sector, why are many rural areas in Sabah still facing unstable electricity supply? If they were channeled into the industrial sector to what extent has Sabah’s industrial development benefited from this reallocation? If they were used for the petrochemical sector, what are the actual developments in this sector that should have been a key driver of the state’s economy?” Bung Moktar asked.

He said that the people of Sabah have been promised development for far too long, yet in reality, the state still lags behind in infrastructure and basic facilities compared to other states in Malaysia.

If the government is truly serious about developing Sabah, it must prove it through concrete actions, not just announcements without tangible results that the people can see and feel, he pointed out.

“I call on the government to immediately provide a clear explanation regarding the status of the funds that were supposed to benefit the people of Sabah. The decision to cancel TSGP must not become yet another episode of injustice toward Sabah, which continues to be sidelined in the nation’s development agenda,” said Bung Moktar.

-Agency