By Peter Sibon
KUCHING, June 16: A new agricultural belt known as the Outer Kuching area will be developed with modern agriculture, revealed Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
He said, since the area has the basic prerequisite infrastructure such as roads, electricity and water supply, it would be much easier to develop as it is near Kuching.
“Outer Kuching will be part of the Kuching outer area. It will also consist of part of Serian. It has the advantage because it has all the infrastructure. And also the development of agriculture is appropriate because all the prerequisite infrastructure is already there,” Abang Johari told the media after attending Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Dayak ministers’ Gawai open house at Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) headquarters here today.
He explained that currently the area is not part of the Samarahan Integrated Development Agency and Serian Division.
“It will be different from Samarahan…. Samarahan Integrated Development Agency is different because it goes up to Sebuyau. But this is Outer Kuching. It will involve (an) area outside Serian and outer Kuching because Serian is a division by itself and it has its own master plan,” he explained.
To expedite the development of the area, Abang Johari said the Sarawak government will connect the Samarahan Road to the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) area.
“Then that area will be connected to Kuching through the outer ring road connecting Samarahan Road right up to BCCK and the outer Kuching area. This is to open up the land,” he stressed.
The open house was hosted by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, Minister of Education, Science and Technological Research Dato Sri Michael Manyin Jawong, Minister of Utilities Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, Assistant Minister of Native Land Development Datuk Roland Sagah Wee Inn, Deputy Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly Dato Gerawat Gala and Kapit MP-cum-Advisor at the Chief Minister’s Office Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi.
— DayakDaily
