By Adrian Lim
LAWAS, Feb 22: The state government is committed to developing and upgrading the socio-economy of the rural areas in Sarawak.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said those were the pledges that the state government had made before the last state election.
Noting that Indonesia’s president Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had travelled to Sarawak and personally surveyed the relocation of the new capital city in Kalimantan to develop the village and border areas of Sarawak, he stressed that Sarawak was also looking to transform its rural areas as well.
“President Jokowi wants to develop the village and the border areas in Indonesia and we in Sarawak also wants to transform the rural areas as well.
“We have the allocation to develop the rural areas,” he said during the launching of Gabungan Parti Sarawak Lawas Zone at Lawas Public Park here today.
He noted that under the Northern Region Development Authority (NRDA), the state government had allocated RM1.5 billion to develop the northern areas of Sarawak.
He said Minister of International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan has been tasked to work with the Brunei government for the exports of the livestock.
In terms of agriculture, Abang Johari stated that there was a new technology to breed more buffaloes using the artificial insemination technology following a briefing while touring the booths at Lawas Public Park.
He observed the new approach will enable more buffaloes to be produced and subsequently increase the number of livestock and boost the industry in Sarawak.
The state government will also upgrade the roads from Lawas to Ba Kelalan to be on par with standardised roads.—DayakDaily
