By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Aug 8: The Sarikei Bypass Road and a proposed road connection to Bukit Kinyau are expected to improve connectivity and open up new areas for development, particularly agriculture, says Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said the Sarawak government had identified a missing link towards Bukit Kinyau and instructed the Land and Survey Department to estimate the cost of constructing the connection, separately from the Sarikei bypass which is already being implemented.
“Earlier, I was briefed by the Land and Survey Department on the development that will be implemented in the Sarikei Division.
“We saw that there is a missing link towards Bukit Kinyau, so I have asked the Land and Survey Department to make an estimate of how much it would cost to connect the road to Bukit Kinyau, as well as the Sarikei bypass which is currently being implemented,” he told reporters after visiting the Sarikei Bypass Road project in Sarikei today. An audio recording of his remarks was later made available to DayakDaily.
The 5km Sarikei Bypass Road has an estimated project cost of RM35.5 million, while the 12.6km road and bridge from Sentebu to Bukit Kinyau has a project cost of RM80 million.
Abang Johari said the road developments would also support the opening up of agricultural areas, with the proposed 8km Selalang/Sare Bypass Road under the Rajang Delta Development Agency (RADDA) set to connect such areas, including the Sg Baji Agro Park.
The Selalang/Sare Bypass Road has a project cost of RM56 million.
He said water and electricity supplies had also been upgraded to support development in the newly opened areas.
“With the availability of these facilities, I see that agriculture can be developed here because there is still a lot of land available,” he said.
The wider road development plan for the Sarikei Division also includes a 2.4km spur road from Sare to Jalan Sentebu/Bukit Kinyau, with a project cost of RM24.3 million.
It also includes the proposed upgrading of 4km of Jalan Nyelong Bypass to a dual carriageway and the proposed 2km Nyelong Bypass/Kwong Ming Minah Road, although project costs for the two projects were not disclosed.
The four projects with disclosed costs amount to RM195.8 million in total.
At the same time, Abang Johari said Sarikei had the potential to move beyond conventional agriculture by adopting modern technologies and introducing new crop varieties.
He identified the new SG1 pineapple variety as one crop that could be promoted in the area, saying it could be harvested within about eight to nine months.
He also proposed paddy cultivation on a smaller, group-based scale using new technology.
Meanwhile, Abang Johari said improved connectivity between Sarikei and Tanjung Manis could also support the development of a bamboo industry.
He said he would ask the Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) to identify suitable areas for bamboo cultivation.
Bamboo, he said, could be planted as a natural canopy along roads, including the route between Sarikei and Tanjung Manis, as well as in urban areas.
He acknowledged that bamboo had traditionally been avoided because of concerns that it could attract snakes, but said technology was now available to address the issue.
“Previously, we were afraid to plant bamboo because there was a stigma that if there was bamboo, there would be snakes.
“But now there is technology and a chemical that can keep snakes away from bamboo. It is the opposite now,” he said.
Abang Johari said bamboo was also a sustainable crop as it could regenerate after being harvested.
“Once the bamboo is cut, it will grow again. It is like rice in the old days. It grows,” he said.
He said the bamboo could be processed into products such as chopsticks, creating opportunities for downstream and light industries.
“So we have to be creative. With that, perhaps Sarikei will no longer be known only for pineapples, but also for chopsticks,” he said.
Also present were Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment and Kuala Rajang assemblyman Datuk Len Talif Salleh; Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Project Coordinator for Regional Development Agencies, Kuching North City Hall, and Islamic Affairs) Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi; Sarawak Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki; Sarikei MP Dato Sri Huang Tiong Sii; and Sarawak Land and Survey Director Awang Zamhari Awang Mahmood.
— DayakDaily
