KAPIT, April 30: All Public Work Department (JKR) engineers have been instructed to search for and record down rural settlements and villages in their respective divisions still without road connectivity so that planning can be done to link them up by 2030.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas wants the compilation of unlinked rural settlements and villages across Sarawak to reach him as soon as possible.
“The state government is focused on resolving such issues. We will look at the record and begin planning to link them up.
“It is our hope to have them connected (to the cities and towns) by 2030. I will try my best to achieve this,” he said in a statement today.
He raised this when officiating at the triennial delegates meetings of the Katibas, Bukit Goram, Baleh and Pelagus branches of the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) at the Civic Centre here today.
Uggah, who is also Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development, emphasised that no rural settlements or longhouses should be left out of the State’s road networks, noting that the inhabitants would be left out of the mainstream development if such a situation were allowed to continue.
“For the GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) government, we always want tomorrow to be better than today.
“For this reason, we are striving to bring in or upgrade all infrastructure facilities and amenities. Then we will proceed with introducing and implementing activities and programmes to help the people generate income,” he added.
At the same function, Uggah also congratulated Kapit MP Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi who was recently appointed as the new chairman of the Upper Rajang Development Agency (URDA).
Nanta, who is also Federal Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, replaces the late Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing.
“The appointment made by Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg is a reflection of his and the State’s confidence in Nanta’s leadership,” he said. — DayakDaily
