Kuching: Selangor has recently unveiled its new 120-metre flagpole, reportedly the tallest in Southeast Asia, constructed at a cost of RM8.5 million.
This development raises serious questions regarding the 99-metre flagpole project in Sarawak, which has been widely reported to cost RM30 million.
For a significantly shorter project, the reported cost is more than three times that of the recently completed flagpole in Selangor.
This stark discrepancy deserves a clear and transparent explanation from the Sarawak Government.
Previously, based on estimates from professional engineers, I stated that the cost of constructing a 99-metre flagpole should be in the range of RM5.59 million to RM6.45 million.
The latest information from Selangor (where a taller 120-metre structure was completed for RM8.5 million) further reinforces that my earlier estimate was not unreasonable.
Yet, until today, there has been no proper disclosure of the total cost breakdown for Sarawak’s 99-metre flagpole.
More importantly, the public has also not been informed about the identity of the company that reportedly financed the project nor the exact arrangement under which the project was undertaken.
Regardless of whether the funding is public or private, the Sarawak Government has a duty to ensure that any funds spent on government projects are handled transparently and prudently.
Public infrastructure projects cannot be shielded from scrutiny simply by claiming that they are privately funded.
The government must answer several basic questions:
• What is the actual total cost of the 99-metre flagpole project?
• What is the detailed cost breakdown of the project?
• Who is the company or entity that paid for it?
• What procurement or selection process was involved in the construction?
Good governance requires accountability, transparency, and prudent spending.
When a project appears to cost several times more than comparable projects elsewhere, the government has a responsibility to explain how resources entrusted to it are being managed.
Michael Kong Feng Nian
DAP Sarawak Assistant Publicity Secretary
9 March 2026
