By Marlynda Meraw
KUCHING, Nov 27: Stakan assemblyman Datuk Hamzah Brahim has issued an urgent appeal for road-safety interventions, highlighting a series of critical hazards including a fatal accident zone near Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) and the dangerous T-junction at Jalan Berlian.
Debating on the fourth day of the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) sitting today, Hamzah drew the attention of the august House to the unconducive conditions of the road at the UNIMAS entrance, which he warned are unsafe and hazardous to motorists.
“The diversion created due to works under the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) project is said to have contributed to the increase in accidents,” he said.
He cited a recent accident on October 21, 2025 that claimed a woman’s life and injured two others that took place near the UNIMAS traffic light.
Hamzah subsequently requested an official clarification from KUTS, the Ministry of Transport Sarawak (MOTS), and the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) regarding the main cause of the safety issue and the necessary steps to tackle it.
Accidents occur so frequently in the area that Hamzah warned it could soon earn the grim moniker ‘Jalan Parai’ (death road) if the situation remains unaddressed.
The UNIMAS area was only one of the five road safety issues raised by Hamzah.
He also highlighted the alarming congestion access road to the southern area of Kuching International Airport (KIA), which, with only one lane for each direction, can no longer cope with rising traffic, particularly during peak hours.
“I request that the road be upgraded to two lanes. A single-lane road is no longer adequate for the growing number of vehicles. I urge that it be upgraded to a dual-lane road immediately,” he said.
On the same KIA access route, Hamzah raised concerns about insufficient lighting, asking the House to imagine driving in pitch darkness without adequate illumination at night.
“This certainly increases the risk of accidents, especially for those unfamiliar with the route. This is precisely the problem faced along the same stretch of road.
“I request that the installation of comprehensive street lighting in the affected area be given urgent consideration, for the comfort and safety of road users,” he added.
Hamzah also noted a serious lack of safety infrastructure in front of Sekolah Tunas Bakti Kuching, situated near Jalan Datuk Mohd Musa, where he said the absence of a guardrail sees vehicles frequently hit the road divider and swerve into the opposing lane.
“Installing guardrails would not only provide physical protection but also serve as a preventive measure that could save lives,” he argued, hoping that the matter is being given proper consideration.
Meanwhile, Hamzah also called for an overhaul of how development projects are communicated to local representatives by the State Planning Unit (SPU).
He questioned the existing notification mechanism intended to ensure elected representatives are informed before project implementation, and asked what improvements SPU would undertake.
To rectify the communication gap, Hamzah proposed that SPU implement a formal notification procedure for elected representatives each time a new project is approved, providing full details including project scope, location, cost, and timeline.
He also urged mandatory pre-implementation meetings involving the implementing agency, the elected representative, and the local community, to ensure stakeholders can provide input. Additionally, he insisted that SPU deliver periodic project progress reports to elected representatives to aid monitoring and enable swift intervention when issues arise. — DayakDaily
