Expand Sabah Works Ministry For Unified Transport System - Logistics Expert

LABUAN, July 1 (Bernama) -- Expanding Sabah’s Ministry of Works into a full-fledged Ministry of Transport and Works is the most practical, cost-effective, and administratively sound solution to address the state’s persistent logistics fragmentation, said a logistics expert.

Former president of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Malaysia and vice-president of CILT International for Southeast Asia, Datuk Dr Ramli Amir, said the move offers a more immediate and integrated response compared to creating a new ministry.

“This strategic expansion will provide the centralised transport authority Sabah desperately needs…creating a new ministry is costly and unnecessary when the current Works Ministry already has the institutional capacity,” he said in a statement to Bernama today.

Dr Ramli said Sabah’s logistics challenges stem more from institutional fragmentation than infrastructure gaps, with overlapping agency mandates resulting in poor coordination and economic inefficiencies.

“There’s no single authority managing Kota Kinabalu’s transit…governance is fragmented, services inconsistent, and private vehicle use dominates due to a lack of strategic oversight,” he said.

He said even road hauliers operate across fragmented jurisdictions, reinforcing the need for a unified ministry to streamline responsibilities and improve trade facilitation.

He cited the federal cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in December 2023 as a precedent for structural reforms aimed at improved governance.

“The Sabah Constitution allows such changes....we've seen similar expansions, like renaming the Agriculture Ministry to include Food Industry and the Industrial Ministry to include Entrepreneurship,” he added.

Dr Ramli noted that while the Sabah Logistics Council plays a role, it lacks the mandate and leadership to address systemic issues.

“The council has no funding power or structure to implement solutions…under a Ministry of Transport and Works, it can become a strong execution body,” he said, adding that the proposal aligns with the National Transport Policy 2019-2030, which promotes better agency coordination and integrated systems.

“An expanded Sabah ministry would not only support national objectives but enable focused, state-level solutions suited to Sabah’s geography and economy,” he said.

Dr Ramli proposed merging the Works Ministry’s mandate with transport planning, asserting ministerial authority over fragmented agencies, aligning with federal bodies, and optimising resources.

“Transport and works complement each other…we need engineering to build and maintain roads, ports, and infrastructure…integration makes perfect sense,” he said, emphasising that addressing institutional fragmentation at the ministerial level is crucial.

“Without a central authority, policies fall through the cracks…only a unified ministry can deliver an integrated master plan and unlock Sabah’s economic potential,” he said.

Dr Ramli said expanding the Works Ministry is a rational, constitutionally supported reform that would resolve the current vacuum and pave the way for transport modernisation.

“This is not just about structural change…it’s about removing long-standing bottlenecks. With a Ministry of Transport and Works, Sabah will finally have a single authority to drive logistics transformation,” he added.

--BERNAMA