By Roslan Mutu
BELAGA, May 2: Belaga community leaders have voiced their displeasure regarding the lack of infrastructure development in the district, especially road networks, which was exacerbated by the recent discontinuation of the only express boat service plying the Kapit to Belaga route due to lack of passengers.
The Menjawah-Belaga Road, off Bakun Road with a distance of 34km is the only trunk road connecting outsiders to Belaga town. The other alternative form of transportation to Belaga town is by boats.
Presently, riverine dwellers from Belaga up to Punan Bah, a two-hour boat ride away, must rely on small boats to access Belaga town.
Penghulu Abu Talip Moktar from the Malay village in Belaga said the recent cessation of the express boat service from Kapit to Belaga has only made their lives more difficult.
“If we want to reach Kapit, it is easier to travel by road but it will take long hours as we have to pass through Bintulu, Sibu, Kanowit and Song.
“The Jiwa Murni road which is currently being constructed to connect Belaga town to Punan Bah, and subsequently to Ng Merit in Kapit has not given us the desired result as it will be akin to ‘jangan ndak’ (low quality) road. So, even if the road is completed, not many motorists would dare to venture through as it would be risky due to the rugged terrain and sharp bends,” he told DayakDaily.
Abu Talip, who is also a Belaga Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) sub-branch leader, hopes the government will improve infrastructure, especially roads and bridges to connect Belaga town from Kapit as well as to upgrade the present Mejawah-Belaga Road to double-carriageway.
Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Belaga branch secretary Henry Tey, who is fondly called Ahok, stressed that it is about time that Belaga district should be given its due as it is one of the top districts that contribute to Sarawak’s economy.
“Besides having proper roads to connect us to Kapit and Bakun Road via the Menjawah-Belaga Road, we need to have the border security road along the border with Kalimantan, Indonesia, as it will ensure that not only safety but the much-needed connectivity to the longhouses and villages throughout Belaga district,” he said.
A Kayan community leader from Pemanca Unak Akah said one way to improve the infrastructure needs of Belaga district is to elevate it into a division.
“I would like to appeal to the policy makers to expedite the much-needed infrastructure network in Belaga, including a sports complex and housing needs.
“And on that note, I fully agree with my two colleagues from Sg Asap, namely Pemanca Tony Kulleh and Pemanca Umek Jeno that the only way for Belaga to progress is to elevate it into a division. This way, it will be allocated with more funding,” he stressed.
Prior to this, both Tony and Umek have suggested that it has long been overdue that Belaga should be elevated to a division to expedite overall development for the Orang Ulu majority area.
Belaga may be far and isolated from major urban centres in Sarawak but it has rich resources which contribute billions of ringgit to Sarawak’s coffers annually.
Belaga’s contribution to the overall economic growth of Sarawak not only comes from the power generation from its two mega dams, namely the mammoth 2400-megawatt (MW) Bakun hydroelectric (HEP) dam and the 944-MW Murum HEP dam but also through its rich timber resources as well as oil palm industry.
The power generated from Belaga, has lit up not only homes, towns and cities but also industries throughout Sarawak, making its economy among the top three in the country. Its other resources such as timber and palm oil have also chipped in billions of ringgit annually to Sarawak’s economy.
The district is also rich in ethnic diversity where the Orang Ulu community such as the Kayans, Kenyahs, Penans, Punans, Sekapans and other small tribal groups, including considerable number of Malays and Chinese population have been dwelling there peacefully.
While the Orang Ulu community dwell mostly in the longhouses and villages in the outskirts of Belaga Town and in the Sg Asap sub-district, the Malays and Chinese, however are found mainly in Belaga town. — DayakDaily
