KUCHING, Feb 22: The Sarawak government is optimistic that ongoing efforts to take back control of Bintulu Port from the Federal government will bear fruit in the near future.
According to a news report by TVS, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas has expressed confidence following a positive meeting and brief discussion with Minister of Transport Anthony Loke in Putrajaya today.
In the meeting, Uggah who is also Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development also handed over the official letter on Sarawak’s application to change the administration of the Bintulu Port, a deep-sea port currently under federal jurisdiction, to be placed under the authority of the Sarawak government.
“The meeting went smoothly and he (Loke) has accepted our proposal and now both sides can take the next course of action. This is the beginning of a series of discussions that will dwell into important matters to be finalised in the proposal.
“The upcoming discussions will seek to identify matters to be handed over to the Federal government to find the best solution in line with Sarawak’s application,” he told TVS at the Parliament Complex, Kuala Lumpur today.
While hoping for a positive outcome where Sarawak will be given full control of Bintulu Port, Uggah however pointed out that the matter involving the transfer of power may take some time given the complexity involved which was similar to negotiations on rights under Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
“The results can be seen recently when Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) visited Sarawak where he agreed to recognised the Public Works Department (JKR), Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) and Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) as technical departments in Sarawak.
“Therefore, I am optimistic that the ongoing efforts made by Sarawak will bear fruits. If we are not optimistic, it means we are not trying hard enough yet,” he added. — DayakDaily
