By Yvonne Tuah
Infrastructure is often spoken of in kilometres, bridges, skyscrapers, landmarks and billions of ringgit. But its real measure is less tangible: how far its benefits travel.
For Sarawak, where communities are scattered across a vast and varied landscape, development cannot be confined to urban centres. It must reach the people living beyond them, where distance can determine how easily one gets to a hospital, sends produce to market or simply travels from one town to another.
This lies at the heart of the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030), a recalibrated growth plan that folds in future scenarios and lessons from the pandemic. Spearheaded by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, it carries an ambition to build a high-income State where prosperity is inclusive and its benefits are felt more widely.
It also carried a corollary: communities across Sarawak’s landscape must be tethered by dependable infrastructure. Increasingly, that tether is being laid in concrete and steel: roads extending deeper into the State, bridges spanning long-standing physical gaps, and new links drawing major settlements and communities closer to one another.
Building continuity across distance
Across Sarawak, RM11 billion is being channelled into the Coastal Road Network and Second Trunk Road mega-projects, a massive undertaking aimed at connecting settlements along the coast, improving traffic efficiency and safety, opening new areas for development and strengthening access to Sarawak’s major economic centres.
“The Premier’s philosophy is that to develop Sarawak, we need to upgrade our infrastructure. We have to reach out to our economic resources, reach out to our people, and make sure that we can also eradicate poverty. Communication, roads and bridges are very important because without roads and bridges, we risk isolating certain areas,” Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas told DayakDaily.
“With the completion of the road, we will be able to link and connect all the economic resources that we have. More importantly, our people will have easier access to essential services such as medical and education, while also being able to bring their products to market. This will be a big help in our efforts to fight poverty in the interior areas.
“This is why our objective is to make sure that, by 2030, most of the major settlements in Sarawak will be connected by road.”
Easing the ‘tax’ of distance
Before these roads, living away from the main transport spine carried an invisible and compounding ‘tax’. For rural households, basic necessities cost more to haul in. For smallholders and fishermen living along the coast, slower journeys could mean steeper mark-ups, lower returns or the risk of produce deteriorating before reaching processing facilities or urban markets.
Then, there was the cost that could not be measured in ringgit: time. Hours spent waiting at ferry jetties were hours lost to more productive work or simply getting home sooner.
Uggah, who is also Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development (MIPD), said the 896-kilometre, RM5.555 billion Coastal Road from Sematan to Miri is being built and upgraded to offer an alternative to the Pan Borneo Highway and to phase out all nine ferry services along its length, improving safety and mobility.
The RM5.445 billion Second Trunk Road, meanwhile, is expected to ease congestion in major areas as well as open up new areas for development by drawing on the Coastal Road and the Pan Borneo Highway through links joining Sebuyau, Lingga and Sri Aman/Betong.
From Kuching to Sibu, for example, the Second Trunk Road is expected to reduce the travel time between the two major urban areas by 144 kilometres from 396 kilometres via the Pan Borneo Highway, to approximately 252 kilometres. Additionally, the Second Trunk Road will create a new route linking Betong and Sibu through Pakan District that will also tie the entire Pakan area into the Pan Borneo Highway.
Both mega road projects are fully funded by the State government, and the scale of these people-centric infrastructure projects reflects a broader recognition that development must eventually arrive where people live. For communities that have spent years navigating physical barriers and harsh journeys, connectivity is not an abstract policy objective but something experienced in shorter travel times, easier access and greater opportunities.
Last mile mission
Beyond the Coastal Road Network and Second Trunk Road projects, the Ministry and the Public Works Department Sarawak (JKR Sarawak) are also implementing the “Last Mile Mission” as part of the State government’s continuous effort to close the remaining connectivity gap, particularly in rural and remote areas.
Based on JKR Sarawak records, Sarawak’s road network currently spans 40,255 kilometres, comprising 38,634 kilometres of State roads and 1,621 kilometres of federal roads maintained under the government maintenance programme. This represents an increase of 6,908 kilometres registered in 2025, which are largely attributed to the conversion and registration of “last mile roads” or former logging roads, as well as active and inactive timber roads, into State roads through the “Last Mile Mission” initiative. Through this initiative, these “last mile” roads are also included under the Malaysian Road Records Information System (MARRIS) maintenance programme.
“This initiative will greatly improve the safety, comfort and accessibility of rural communities. This effort clearly demonstrates the commitment of the government towards inclusive development and equitable infrastructure delivery for Sarawakians.
“The ‘Last Mile Mission’ is not merely about building roads, but about connecting the rakyat to economic opportunities, healthcare, education and essential services,” Uggah said.
Engineering for difficult ground
Sarawak’s geography presents a particular engineering challenge. Reaching remote communities means building across rivers, wetlands, peatlands and difficult terrain, while balancing the demands of development with the need to minimise environmental disturbance; a commitment highlighted under the PCDS 2030.
Several innovative, environmentally-conscious engineering approaches have already been introduced across the State.
The Batang Lupar 1 Bridge, for instance, is now the longest river crossing bridge in Malaysia, spanning the wide and rapid Batang Lupar while incorporating measures intended to minimise disturbance to its surroundings. Rather than levelling Triso Island to accommodate the structure, the bridge was designed to go around it, leaving the island untouched.
Further north, the Sarawak-Sabah Link Road 2 (SSLR2), a joint project of the Federal and Sarawak governments, is expected to bring Sarawak its very first road tunnel, a 2.24-kilometre passage at Bukit Pagon.
Along the coast between Sebuyau and Lingga, JKR Sarawak is implementing water bag technology as a surcharge method for ground treatment under Package B1 of the Sebuyau-Lingga Second Trunk Road-Coastal Road Network project. The method improves soil compaction and stabilisation where ground conditions demand treatment before road construction can proceed.
And Package A1-B of the Second Trunk Road, to be built between Batang Sadong Bridge and Asajaya via Jalan Samarahan, is set to become another iconic project showcasing Sarawak’s engineering capabilities.
Its signature feature is an elevated stretch of road, designed to minimise environmental impact in peat soil areas. Pillars replace extensive sand filling, reducing impact on the surrounding land and lowering long-term maintenance requirements. An 11.8-kilometre elevated stretch will run along a new 13.724-kilometre alignment, shortening travel time, strengthening network connectivity and driving socioeconomic development in Samarahan and surrounding areas.
Retiring the ferries
For years, crossing a river on Sarawak’s coast meant joining a queue. From hours waiting in queue, to gaps missing between neighbouring communities. But those crossings are transforming.
Four of the mega bridges completed so far have already retired several ferry crossings:
- Batang Lupar 1 Bridge, opened in May 2026, ended the Sebuyau-Triso ferry service.
- Muara Lassa Bridge, opened in January 2025, retired the Batang Lassa/Muara Lassa ferry.
- Batang Saribas 1 Bridge, opened in July 2025, ended the ferry service there.
- Batang Igan Bridge, opened in March 2026, officially replaced a ferry service that had run for 30 years.
The recently completed and opened Batang Paloh Bridge replaces the Batang Paloh ferry. Together with Muara Lassa Bridge, it will link Pulau Bruit directly to the mainland, closing the gap of isolation once imposed by its dependence on ferry crossings.
More are on the way. Further west, the Sempadi Terminus-Rambungan ferry across the Batang Rambungan river is expected to cease operations once the new Batang Rambungan Bridge is completed, projected for late 2026.
Turning byways into lifelines
The impact of new roads and bridges is perhaps most visible away from construction sites.
In settlements that were once bypassed or reached only after long journeys, increased traffic is bringing a new current of economic activity. For traders, it’s a sight long awaited for, while for residents, it’s a shorter and more convenient route.
At markets in small towns such as Asajaya and Sebuyau, vendors describe a surge of vehicles, especially on weekends and holidays, as travellers cross between towns and cities and pause at rest stops.
Fairuz Hanafi, a vendor from Kampung Tambirat at Pusat Penjaja MPKS Tambirat, Asajaya, said the new bridges and roads have turned once-rural and remote lanes into main roads. Once frequented mostly by locals and neighbours, they now bring more visitors, fresh opportunities for local markets and a livelier pulse to a quiet town.
“With the new roads and bridges, we have the opportunity to expose our local products to the new wave of traffic coming here, especially during weekends and holidays. Before, this place can be considered a ‘remote area’ but now, the roads here are slowly becoming main roads.”
Fairuz also described these infrastructures as bringing neighbouring communities closer together as the roads have shortened distances between towns, enlivening the town even more. Another vendor, who asked not to be named, told DayakDaily that while the town used to be quiet, it is now livelier with more visitors stopping by. Even as early as 4am, vehicles can be heard passing through the town, when previously its mornings began at a quieter pace.
For Entia Mail, chairwoman of Pasar Tamu Sebuyau, over the years, she has witnessed the drastic change the new nearby Batang Lupar 1 Bridge and new roads have brought to a small coastal town like Sebuyau. She remembers when queues at the Triso Ferry jetty could stretch for hours, and even half a day, during peak holiday periods.
Beyond time saved, the bridge has brought new customers, some travelling from as far as Limbang to see it and visit nearby towns. She hopes facilities would improve so small towns like Sebuyau could manage the traffic, and called for stronger enforcement against those exploiting the increased traffic and competing with legitimate local vendors like herself.
Meanwhile, civil servant Beruin Dek, from Kampung Kejaman Neh, Long Liten, Belaga, who was travelling to Kuching with his parents so his mother could receive medical treatment, lauded the ease of the road.
Over ten years ago, before the Pan Borneo Highway reached its present stage, he recalls using the old coastal road, which was rougher and slowed by ferry waits. The new roads have made it easier to bring his elderly parents to major cities for treatment.
Although the Pan Borneo Highway offers a more direct route to Kuching, the family took a short detour to see the Batang Lupar 1 Bridge. It gave him a chance to feel again the stark difference from the days of waiting hours at the ferries serving the Pusa and Triso areas.
“To be honest, ever since the construction of these new bridges, especially along this Coastal Road, I see that compared to previous years – like when I used to travel this road back in 2015 and 2016 – the roads back then compared to now have really changed significantly. They are much better and much nicer now. And even more so now with the bridges.
“Many bridges have been built by the Sarawak Government, which has made it easier for the public to travel, instead of using the ferries like before.”
Staying on track
Building infrastructure is one challenge. Making sure it gets built, and built well, is another.
To prevent major infrastructure projects from remaining stagnant for prolonged periods, MIPD implemented the “One Month Rule” initiative through JKR Sarawak, aimed at strengthening project governance and securing contractors’ early commitment to achieving targeted work progress within the first month of project implementation.
“When I came in as Minister (of Infrastructure and Port Development), there were about 110 “sick” projects, wherein the contractor failed to complete the project and the project was abandoned. We had to rescue it, so we came up with the idea of the One-Month Rule.
“This means that if we hand over the site to a contractor on January 1, they must show some work on the ground by the end of the month. If there is no indication of any work being carried out, then JKR has the option to terminate the contract,” said Uggah who noted that thus far, contractors have been following this policy.
“The most important thing is that we have to go to the ground. We receive reports, but we also have to see things for ourselves. That way, we know where the real problems are and how best to resolve them.”
Uggah also pointed out that the Ministry as well as JKR Sarawak would regularly conduct site visits to ensure that projects are delivered on time and safely, so that the result is not only efficient but of a quality that lasts for generations.
A working progress
Half a decade into the PCDS 2030, infrastructure development remains a steady work in progress, but one whose effects are increasingly visible on the ground, particularly in towns and settlements being drawn closer to major economic centres and services.
As of October 5, 2026, with the completion and opening of Sejingkat Bridge, another major landmark in Kuching, 12 of Sarawak’s 21 mega bridges had been completed. Another four are expected to be ready within the next two to three months, while the remaining bridges are targeted for completion the following year.
A total of 4,745 kilometres of road have also been upgraded to Condition 1 (Good) out of 6,704.36 kilometres.
“Our hope is that we will be able to build more roads. That’s why JKR’s main slogan now is, ‘We build for you.’
“We want to build roads that last, roads of good quality, and connect as many of the major villages in Sarawak as possible, so that Sarawak can continue moving forward and become a high-income State,” Uggah said.
The work, then, is not simply about building more roads or bridges but about narrowing the distances between people and opportunity, between communities and essential services, and between places that have long existed at the margins of the State’s economic map.
For Sarawak, connectivity is becoming less about reaching somewhere and more about ensuring that fewer people are left beyond reach.
– DayakDaily
