ISSN: 2222-6990
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The Pan Borneo Highway represents one of Malaysia’s largest mega-infrastructure initiatives, designed to enhance regional connectivity and stimulate socio-economic development in East Malaysia. This study examines the impact of the highway on local communities in Sabah through the analytical lens of political ecology theory, which emphasizes power relations, resource distribution, and socio-environmental inequalities embedded within development processes. Employing a quantitative research design, data were collected from 404 respondents in Papar District using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis were utilized to assess the relationships between infrastructure development, socio-economic conditions, ecological impact, and community awareness. The findings reveal a strong and statistically significant positive relationship between infrastructure development and socio-economic conditions (r = 0.737, p < 0.001), indicating that improved connectivity contributes to enhanced economic integration and livelihood opportunities. However, the correlation between employment and income (r = 0.217, p < 0.001) is weak, suggesting that infrastructure expansion alone does not sufficiently address structural inequality and income disparity. Similarly, infrastructure development demonstrates a weak to moderate relationship with ecological impact (r = 0.287, p < 0.001), highlighting measurable environmental consequences alongside development gains. Community awareness exhibits weak but significant correlations with both socio-economic status (r = 0.217, p < 0.001) and environmental perception (r = 0.128, p = 0.010), underscoring the role of knowledge in shaping adaptive and participatory responses. From a political ecology perspective, the study concludes that while the Pan Borneo Highway generates macro-level economic benefits, it simultaneously produces uneven socio-economic and ecological outcomes, particularly among Indigenous and low-income communities. The findings underscore the necessity of integrating inclusive governance, equitable compensation mechanisms, and sustainable environmental management to ensure that infrastructure development advances both economic growth and social justice.
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