KOTA KINABALU: A section of the Pan Borneo Highway project that cuts through the biodiversity-rich Tawai Forest Reserve in the central Telupid district will go ahead, says Datuk Shahelmy Yahya.
The Deputy Chief Minister III said the state Cabinet had made the decision after taking into account concerns raised by environmental groups.
The route through the forest reserve comprises Package 31 of the Pan Borneo Highway that involves building a 20.5km stretch from Sungai Baoto to Telupid.
“The Cabinet has agreed to maintain the proposal for the route through the Tawai Forest Reserve on Nov 10,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Shahelmey, who is also state Works Minister, said one reason to maintain the plan was that it would not have a negative social impact on the local community as the proposed route would not encroach into villages.
Furthermore, the route’s design had been completed and was ready for implementation, he added.
“If a new route is selected, the time taken to re-design the plan will cause a delay in the package implementation and subsequently, the whole of the Pan Borneo Highway project,” he said.
Shahelmey said the costing had also been finalised at the federal and state government levels.
“An alternative route will also incur significant costs, including the abortive cost for the consultant that had been previously paid.
“A mitigation plan has already been taken into account to address effects on the environment and wildlife on the route,” he said.
Conservationists had previously pushed for the government to use alternative routes for the project along the Telupid stretch to prevent it from cutting through the Tawai Forest Reserve.
In March 20202, Coalition Humans Habitats Highways (3H) submitted a plan for alternative routes for the Telupid stretch of the Pan Borneo Highway.
It pointed out that the current alignment of the Telupid section of the highway would run through 30km of the Bornean elephant range, including their usual path through Tawai Forest Reserve.
3H said it had identified two alternative routes that could have socioeconomic benefits without major environmental costs.
Wildlife conservationist Dr Nurzhafarina Othman had previously said the Tawai Forest Reserve has a rich diversity of plant and animal species.
She said this included several endangered species such as the Bornean elephant, orangutan, sun bear and recently discovered Bornean peacock-pheasant which had been thought extinct.
If the construction of the highway went ahead, she added, it would cause habitat destruction, and increase pollution and the fragmentation of wildlife habitats.
