KUCHING, April 20: PRS Women have voiced out its support for SSLR as proposed by Infrastructure and Port Development Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing which will not have to pass through Brunei while also passing through the towns of Lawas and Limbang.
In a press statement today, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Women’s chief Dato Sri Doris Sophia Brodie said both Masing and former Works Minister Baru Bian who is also the Selangau MP are keen to make sure that the road is constructed.
She held the view that the initial Sarawak-Sabah Link Road (SSLR) alignment proposed by Baru was not comprehensive enough as it by-passed the towns of Lawas and Limbang.
“In my opinion, this initial SSLR alignment lacked planning without taking into consideration socio-economic impact and growth,” said Doris.
The proposal of the Sarawak government under Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) however, involved a new alignment for the SSLR (Kuala Melinau-Limbang-Lawas Road) with Phase 1 from the Pan Borneo Highway branching at the Kg Gelugus junction in Lawas to Lg Merarap right to Lg Lopeng. This 77km stretch will approximately cost RM1.2 billion to build.
Phase 2 of the SSLR is from Lg Merarap/Rh Aling in Limbang to Rh Pakatom right to Lg Iman (inclusive of bridges) with a distance of approximately 180km costing not more than RM5 billion to construct.
“With this SSLR alignment, there is no necessity to travel through the Brunei immigration checkpoints anymore.
“As I see it, the new alignment proposed by the Sarawak government will be a catalyst to develop the hinterland, rural and northern parts of Sarawak namely Limbang and Lawas catering to both rural and urban development,” said Doris.
Noting the importance of this new SSLR alignment and its impact on the local community, she said the GPS-led Sarawak government will pay for the construction should Putrajaya disagree with the proposal.
“It is with this regards I think, the current Works Minister (Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof), who is a Sarawakian had agreed to look into the matter and for federal (government) to pay.
“It is the hope of all Sarawakians that this funding is forthcoming. We do hope that this time the federal will honour their promise unlike it was during the PH (Pakatan Harapan) era, where promises were unfulfilled,” Doris added. — DayakDaily
