By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 1: The Regional Corridor Development Authority (Recoda) has recently conducted an engagement session with stakeholders for the development of the Sarawak Border Project.
According to a Recoda press release, the project, which includes preliminary construction work on access roads from Long Banga to Bario and from Bario to Ba’Kelalan, aims to ensure comprehensive planning and feedback integration.
Recoda chief executive officer (CEO) Datu Ismawi Ismuni, emphasised the importance of these input-sharing sessions, stating that they not only help align the road alignments for maximum positive impact but also ensure safety considerations along the Sarawak-Kalimantan, Indonesia border.
“This project will not only provide benefits and comfort for local residents in addition to reducing travel time, but also provide better access to government facilities outside the city, such as Border Control Posts, Rural Service Centres, health clinics and government offices.
“Because of that, we need to have a sense of responsibility to the local residents and those who use these roads,” he was quoted as saying in the release.
Mandated by the Federal government through the Ministry of Economy, Recoda is executing this project under the 12th Malaysia Plan (RMKe-12) Rolling Plan 3 (2023).
The preliminary works include land surveying, soil investigation, environmental impact assessment (EIA), design preparation, and land acquisition.
The proposed road from Long Banga to Bario spans 91.3km, while the road from Bario to Ba’Kelalan covers 41.5 km, totaling approximately 133km.
The roads will be designed according to the JKR R1 standard with an R3 road formation width.
The engagement session was attended by the Deputy Minister in the Premier Sarawak Department (Labour, Immigration, and Project Monitoring) and Mulu assemblyman Datuk Gerawat Gala, Lawas MP Dato Henry Sum Agong, and Ba’Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian.
In the meantime, Gerawat expressed hope for the swift implementation of the road from Long Banga to Bario and Bario to Ba’Kelalan, highlighting the region’s need for improved accessibility to foster economic opportunities in agriculture and tourism.
Additionally, Baru Bian, who visited the area last month, also called for the expedited execution of the road from Bario to Ba’Kelalan, which includes access to the Ba’Kelalan Immigration Control Post, underscoring the urgent need for attention and action on the existing road conditions. — DayakDaily
