By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, March 11: The Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development (MIPD) Sarawak and its agencies including State Public Works Department (PWD) were encouraged to look into the feasibility of making use of old logging roads.
Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said one of the issues related to rural areas is that there are many unused old logging roads.
“We should find out how we can make use of these roads; maybe upgrading these roads will cost a lot less because the basis for the road alignment already exists.
“Therefore, I hope you can look into this issue where I was made to understand that these logging roads are abundant in Baram and Kapit areas,” he said when officiating at the closing ceremony of Database for Sarawak Rural Road Connectivity Workshop held at Damai Beach Resort today.
Uggah who is also MIPD Minister further said that the State government is very committed in developing the rural areas because it understood the physicality and challenges faced by the rural population.
This is translated into the establishment of various agencies such as Upper Rajang Development Agency (URDA) in Kapit, Integrated Regional Samarahan Agency (IRSDA), Highland Development Agency (HDA) in Baram, Northern Region Development Agency (NRDA) in Limbang and Lawas and Sri Aman Development Authority (SADA) to strengthen focus and facilitate the development of rural areas.
He explained that the rural development projects will incur a very high cost but the State government will have to bear with it as long as it manages to create connectivity for the betterment of the people.
Also present were MIPD deputy minister Aidel Lariwoo (Infrastructure Development), State Economic Planning Unit director Datu Dr Muhammad Abdullah Zaidel, MIPD’s permanent secretary Datu Safri Zainudin and State PWD director Datu Zuraimi Sabki. — DayakDaily
