Uggah (fourth right) and Chiew, on his left, join JKR Sarawak officials including
project head Meehan Jorai (fourth left) and deputy director Cassidy Morris (second right)
in a photo-call taken at one of the roundabouts along the Kuching-Samarahan Expressway
that are undergoing upgrading works.
KUCHING (Dec 5): At least 2,000km of new roads are still needed to be built in Sarawak, says Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
In this regard, he looks forward to working closely with the newly-appointed Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Works Minister Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi, towards realising this.
Uggah also expressed hope for a discussion with Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Develpment, regarding the channelling of funding for rural road development in Sarawak.
“I am looking forward to working together with him (Ahmad Zahid) in our pursuit of developing more rural roads in the state. Based on our study, we still need to build at least 2,000km of new roads, to ensure that all those yet-to-be-linked interior longhouses and villages will be connected.
“Our plan is for this to happen by 2030, but this will certainly need quite a substantial amount of funds,” said Uggah, who is also the state Minister of Infrastructure and Ports Development, in a statement issued yesterday, in connection with a series of inspections conducted by him over several road and bridge project sites around here.
The Deputy Premier was accompanied by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Chiew Chee Yaw.
Adding on, Uggah said Sarawak had some proposals on ways to expedite the implementation of its rural projects.
“We met the previous minister (of rural and regional development) Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.
“Stilll, we believe that we need to brief Datuk Seri (Ahmad Zahid) on the various issues that Sarawak is facing in implementing rural projects.
“We need more funds, and that is the bottom line.
On Nanta, Uggah said he was eager to work closely with a fellow Sarawakian.
“I must congratulate him on his appointment as the federal Works Minister.
“We are very thankful that a Sarawakian is helming this very important ministry again.
“We expect to work with him in the same very warm and cosy manner, as what had been forged with the previous minister Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof, on ways to improve connectivity via more federal roads,” he said.
Uggah also revealed that high on his wish list was for the Sarawak Public Works Department (JKR) to be accorded the status of ‘a technical department’.
“This is also an outstanding issue that we are bringing up.
“Another equally important issue is the maintenance of federal roads in Sarawak,
“We would also like to reiterate that Sarawak still needs more roads in order to catch up with the rest of the country,” he said.
Meanwhile, Uggah and Chiew visited the bridge construction sites at Batang Rambungan, Sungai Belian and Sungai Rayu, as well as the inspect the upgrading the works progress of the projects at Jalan Matang Baru and the five roundabouts along the Kuching-Samarahan Expressway.
