Call for Procurement Reform to Protect Sabah & Sarawak

28 August 2025

SANDAKAN: Sandakan Member Parliament (MP) Vivian Wong Shir Yee has voiced strong support for the National Procurement Bill 2025, stressing that it must deliver genuine reforms to guarantee transparency, accountability and fairness, particularly for Sabah and Sarawak.

She noted that more than 400 projects in Sabah are either delayed or facing problems, citing the Pan Borneo Highway’s WP33 package, subcontracted twice with no clear completion date, as well as long-delayed projects such as the Libaran Bypass and the Tamparuli–Sandakan bridge.

Vivian warned that such failures must not be allowed to happen again, outlining five key reforms that the Bill must deliver:

End unchecked ministerial power – all high-value contracts should be reviewed by the Procurement Board, with mandatory conflict-of-interest disclosures.

Define the Finance Minister’s exemption powers clearly to prevent abuse.

Guarantee fair treatment for Sabah and Sarawak through the establishment of dedicated state-level procurement boards.

Tighten regulations on Variation Orders (VO) and Extensions of Time (EOT) to curb delays and cost overruns.

Unify the e-Procurement platform to cover all agencies and statutory bodies.

“We cannot remain silent on systemic loopholes. This law must not be decorative – it must deliver real change so that public funds serve the people, not inefficiency or abuse,” she said.

Vivian added that, with genuine political will, the National Procurement Bill 2025 could serve as a catalyst for governance reform and drive stronger, more equitable development across the nation.