KUCHING: MP Stampin Chong Chieng Jen called on the Works Ministry to review and adjust government contract prices that are now affected by the sharp rise in transportation costs due to stricter enforcement against overloaded commercial vehicles.
Chong who was participating in the 2026 Budget Committee stage debate for the Ministry of Public Works said the policy function listed under Item 010200 of the Works Ministry, Corporate Policy and Management, clearly includes ensuring that project implementation, technical services, and government infrastructure maintenance meet policy objectives.
He said the current situation requires the Ministry to consider contract price adjustments, particularly for components that are heavily affected by transportation cost increases.
Chong noted that the Transport Ministry has recently launched an operation known as the War on Overloaded Commercial Vehicles and has begun strict enforcement on lorries carrying loads beyond permitted limits.
According to him, while the enforcement move will benefit the transport industry in the long term and enhance road safety, the immediate impact is severe for many contractors whose project prices were fixed earlier based on previous market conditions.
He explained that before the operation was launched, it was an open secret in the transport sector that many lorries carrying stones, sand, soil, steel, premix, and building materials routinely exceeded their permitted load limits, many by fifty percent or more.
Chong said contractors had submitted tenders using transportation costs that were based on the long-standing industry practice of overloading, which allowed materials to be transported at a significantly lower cost.
He added that industry estimates show that with strict enforcement of load limits, transportation costs are expected to rise by at least forty percent. Loads that previously required only one trip may now require one and a half or even two trips.
Chong warned that without allowing a review of existing contract prices, many contractors would be unable to complete their government projects without suffering major losses, which may lead to an increase in delayed or abandoned projects.
He urged the Works Ministry to allow a review of contract items affected by the new strict compliance on load limits, saying this was necessary for the stability and sustainability of the construction sector.
By Connie Chieng