By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, June 27: A light-hearted suggestion to rename Belaga as “Belagen” after Norway’s city of Bergen reflects the Sarawak government’s bigger vision of transforming Kapit into an environmentally sustainable township inspired by the Scandinavian country.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the idea took shape after he visited Bergen, where he found the city’s landscape remarkably similar to that of Kapit.
During the visit, he also learnt about Norway’s Northern Lights carbon capture and storage (CCS) project, which stores carbon dioxide beneath the seabed off the Norwegian coast.
“I stayed in a hotel in Bergen and looked around. Bergen looks like Kapit, with a landscape similar to Kapit.
“That was when I thought, why not send people from Kapit to Bergen?” he said when officiating the Sarawakku Sayang Programme in Kapit, broadcast live by the Sarawak Public Communications Unit (UKAS) on Facebook today.
Abang Johari said the exchange eventually led to a Norwegian professor visiting Kapit to study the area and recommend improvements to its development planning.
“We will review Kapit’s local plan and restructure it so that Kapit becomes an environmentally sustainable town, similar to what they have achieved in Norway,” he added.
The Premier said the expert’s recommendations are now being studied as the State prepares a new local plan aimed at shaping Kapit into a sustainable green township.
Recalling the study visit to Norway, Abang Johari said those who travelled there, including Deputy Minister for Utility and Telecommunication I (Telecommunication) Datuk Liwan Lagang, jokingly suggested renaming Belaga as “Belagen” in reference to Bergen.
“Liwan even asked that Belaga be renamed ‘Belagen’—like in Norway. Of course, he was joking. But it means we have to look seriously at Kapit’s development plan,” he pointed out.
As part of the long-term vision, Abang Johari said the State government would support federal funding secured by Minister of Works and Kapit MP Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi to develop infrastructure along the riverbank.
He said the first priority would be to construct a bridge linking Kapit town to the opposite bank of the Rajang River before opening up the area for further development.
“I told Alex that we have to build a bridge first. Then we can develop an environmentally sustainable green township—perhaps the first in this region,” he said.
Abang Johari said the proposal forms part of the State’s long-term development agenda for Kapit, which has already undergone significant growth over the years.
He pointed to increasing traffic in the town, noting that Kapit is now seeking smart traffic lights—something that would have been unthinkable in the past.
He also highlighted previous State investments, including the construction of a three-star hotel, saying future growth would be guided by the new local plan and expert recommendations.
Also present were Deputy Premiers Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas and Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Minister of Works Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi and wife Dato Angelina Celestine Ujang, Sarawak Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki and Dato Baduyah Bujang, and former Kapit MP Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Leonard Linggi Jugah. — DayakDaily
