By Adrian Lim
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 7: The Rural Development Ministry has planned to build and upgrade several road projects in Hulu Rajang with an estimated cost of more than RM220 million.
Rural Development Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad disclosed that the projects were currently in various stages of development.
“The upgrading road for the Bakun resettlement area to Sg Asap with an estimated cost of RM9 million is currently under design stage.
“We are in the stage of appointing consultant for the 60km road from Rh Jln Junta to Jln Melukun.
“For the fifth phase of the road upgrading at the Tegulang resettlement in Kapit with an estimated cost of RM61 million, it is at the design stage.
“The timber road upgrading at the sixth phase to Metalun with an estimated cost of RM112 million under the stage of appointing consultant while the access road to SK Lubok Baya and Nanga Sekeroh with an estimated cost of RM48 million is under the design stage,” he said in Parliament today.
Abdul Latiff was replying to Hulu Rajang MP Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong who asked the Rural Development Ministry on the progress of the infrastructure projects in the rural areas especially in Hulu Rajang and Sarawak.
Abdul Latiff added that there were 40 rural water supply projects in Sarawak to be constructed with an estimated cost of RM2.4 billion.
He said out of the 40 projects, 11 have been completed, 13 in the implementation stage and 16 in the design stage.
Under the 11th Malaysia Plan (2016-2020), he said there were 15 projects for rural water supply in Sarawak.
He added that out of the 15 projects, five have been completed, five under construction, one in the design stage and four in the process of appointing consultants.
Elaborating further, he said six out of the 15 rural water supply projects were located in Hulu Rajang.
On a supplementary question by Ugak to request the Rural Development Ministry to include the construction of a 70km road from Nanga Mujong to Bukit Mabong in Kapit to be included in the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), he said the project might be included in rolling plan one or two of the 12MP.
He believed the close cooperation between the Perikatan Nasional (PN) federal government and the state government will enable the project to be implemented.
Abdul Latiff disclosed that the ministry has a high level committee chaired by him and Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas on the rural development projects in Sarawak. — DayakDaily
