By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Feb 27: Ba’ Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian has called on the federal government to expedite the approval of an additional RM30 million to address the worsening condition of the Buduk Nur-CIQS Long Midang road, warning that its deteriorating state is an embarrassment for both Malaysia and Sarawak.
“The deteriorating state of the Buduk Nur to the CIQS (Customs, Immigration, Quarantine and Security) at Long Midang, Kalimantan (Indonesia) road has been a persistent issue, one that I have raised multiple times before,” he said in a statement today.
He recalled his visit to Long Bawan last year, where he personally experienced how sections of the road had sunk so severely that his vehicle nearly failed to pass.
“With the current rainy season, the situation has only worsened, turning the road into an impassable muddy trap,” he said, stressing that the road is a vital link for residents who rely on it daily.
Villagers from Kampung Puneng Kelalan, for instance, use the road regularly to reach Buduk Nur, where the airstrip is located, and to access their farms. However, their daily struggles with worsening road conditions have made travel unpredictable, difficult, and at times, dangerous.
Baru noted that two years ago, Lawas MP Dato Henry Sum Agong announced an RM80 million allocation from the federal government under the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, to be implemented by the Sarawak Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID).
However, he said this amount has proven insufficient.
“To address the shortfall, an additional RM30 million was requested. I raised this issue during the last Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) sitting, and the official response was that they were still ‘waiting for the extra allocation to be approved by the federal government,’” he said.
Baru further recalled a Regional Corridor Development Authority (Recoda) briefing in Miri last year, attended by Henry and Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration, and Project Monitoring) who is also Mulu assemblyman Datuk Gerawat Gala, where he reiterated his concerns.
“While discussions focused on the construction of a new road from Bario to Ba’ Kelalan, I emphasised that it would be an embarrassment for Malaysia and Sarawak if we allowed such dire road conditions to persist while the CIQS facility at the border remains operational,” he said.
Highlighting the stark contrast between the poor condition of roads on the Malaysian side and the far superior infrastructure on the Kalimantan side, Baru said the inaction on this matter is glaring.
“The people who rely on this road cannot afford to wait any longer. I strongly urge the federal government to expedite the approval of the additional RM30 million and proceed immediately with the tendering of this critical project,” he stressed.
In the meantime, he urged both the federal and Sarawak governments to implement interim measures to maintain and improve the road, ensuring it remains passable for daily users. — DayakDaily
