“When PH scrapped the PDP, they did not create a new entity to manage the bonds to provide for some RM14 billion needed to implement the project.

“If there are no bonds, that means it is difficult to get allocations. Only 11 packages received funding while the remaining 22 did not,” he said.

Bung was commenting on a report that Kota Kinabalu MP Chan Foong Hin had criticised him for claiming that the PH government had stopped the funding of the highway project.

Chan said it was the termination of the PDP model by Warisan, which formed the Sabah state government at that time, which delayed the completion of the project in Sabah.

He said Bung was aware that the PDP model was terminated, yet he still wrongly accused PH of cutting funding.

Chan said the project then had to solely depend on government infrastructure funds and the public works department (JKR) for the work.

He said RM4.47 billion was allocated to Sarawak and RM4.66 billion to Sabah for infrastructure development in 2021 by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob. This was RM600 million less than last year’s amount for Sabah.

“If Bung really dares to defend Sabah, not only should he ask for more development funds from the prime minister, but at least it should be on par with what PH has allocated. He should also criticise the prime minister for cutting development funds for Sabah,” he said.