By Simon Peter
KUCHING, November 29, 2016 - Deputy Chief Minister Tan
Sri Dr James Masing said the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and
Transportation is proposing to create major road networks that will open up the
vast areas of central and southern regions.
If Peninsula Malaysia has North South Highway, East
West Highway and East West Speed Train, why cannot we dream and build extensive
road networks for us in Sarawak? This, however, will not happen overnight.- Tan Sri Dr James Masing
"In creating road networks for Sarawak, we need to
focus on both the short term and long terms strategies," he said in the state assembly today.
He said on the land corridor between the Pan Borneo
Highway and the coastal area of Sarawak resides 63% of Sarawak’s 2.6 million
populations.
"These lands, where two-thirds of state's population
live, are devoid of good access road and hence, lack of development.
"Therefore, my ministry is proposing a Sarawak second
trunk road which runs from Sibu to Kuching.
"While the first trunk road is Pan Borneo Highway,
the second Sarawak trunk road will run between the current Coastal Road which
hugs the coast and the Pan Borneo Highway near to Kalimantan Border.
"The second trunk road, or Sarawak Express Way,
whatever we shall call it, will run between the current coastal area and the
Pan Borneo Highway," he said, adding that the second trunk road will
reduce the travelling distance from Sibu to Kuching by 200 km.
"It means that you and I can save our travelling
from Kuching to Sibu or vice-versa by 2 to 2½ hours," he said, stating
that distance from Sibu to Kuching via Pan Borneo Highway is about 400km.
"Together with this second trunk road which runs
from Sibu to Kuching, MIDT is also proposing another main highway which runs
from Sebuyau at the mount of Batang Lupar to Sri Aman and joining Pan Borneo
Highway at Betong.
"The distance is about 85km. This however, is not
the end of MIDT’s vision. That is my Ministry vision of creating major road
networks in Sarawak.
"We are now planning for another highway which will
run towards North East from Betong along the border with Kalimantan, Indonesia.
"This interior highway with a distance of about
300km will end at Ulu Sungai Baleh where Baleh Hydro Dam is located.
"Apart from opening the land in the interior of
Sarawak, Ulu Sungai Layar, Pakan, Julau, Kanowit, Song and Kapit, this will
also allow for quick accessibility to the border regions with Indonesia.
"In short, this interior highway will allow economic
development in the areas which will not be developed due to distance and
inaccessibility, and ensuring the security of our assets, like our dams and
other sensitive installations that we have along the border.
"I have presented to this august House MIDT’s
objectives, trusts and visions for the future of Sarawak.
"If Peninsula Malaysia has North South Highway, East
West Highway and East West Speed Train, why cannot we dream and build extensive
road networks for us in Sarawak? This, however, will not happen overnight.
"As I said before ‘Rome is not built on one day’.
So, members of the opposition, please be patient and support us on this
proposal.
"Only on being together, we can dream!.As one
Chinese proverb says ‘a journey of a thousand miles start from a small step”,"
he concluded.
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