‘Coastal highway will spur devt of coastal areas’
KOTA SAMARAHAN: Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg believes that the coastal highway, once completed, will spur the development of coastal areas in the state and turn Bumiputera lands into highly valuable economic assets.
“That is why I asked Assistant Minister of Coastal Road Datuk Julaihi Narawi to help. The coastal highway will be from Miri to Bintulu, then from Bintulu to Tanjung Manis through Mukah and from Kuching to Samarahan then to Sebuyau and will meet at the coastal roads in Tanjung Manis.
“This is a very important road network that will open up Bumiputera lands to be strong economic assets and for us to develop the coastal areas,” he said when officiating at the Samarahan Division Hari Raya Aidilftri event at Samarahan Civic Centre here on Wednesday.
In noting that there are many rivers in Sarawak that needed to be crossed with bridges, Abang Johari said apart from the Batang Sadong bridge that was completed last year and the Batang Samarahan bridge that is expected to be completed next year, the state government wants to build other bridges such as the five-kilometre Batang Lupar bridge.
“God willing, we will build the Batang Lupar bridge. As we know, the cost is RM1 billion that shocked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Initially, he wanted the construction of the bridge to be federal-funded; he didn't know
This is a very important road network that will open up Bumiputera lands to be strong economic assets and for us to develop the coastal areas.
that the five-kilometre bridge will cost RM1 billion.
“Najib then asked Tok Nan (former Chief Minister the late Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem) whether the state and federal government could share the cost equally and Tok Nan agreed to share 50: 50. This is still at the design stage.”
Besides that, Abang Johari said the state government is also building bridges in Saribas and Batang Lassa, adding that the state's strategic projects would be funded by the recently established Development Bank of Sarawak (DBOS).
In noting that Samarahan is now an urban area, Abang Johari said there is a necessity to address the traffic jam experienced in the area through the construction of the Light Railway Transit for Kuching, Samarahan and Serian as proposed by him.
“The opposition said that my development plans are ‘hot air'. Let them see. If I want to do something, I will make sure that it becomes a reality.”
Abang Johari said with the establishment of the state's own oil company Petroleum Sarawak, the state will be able to work together with Petronas in the upstream activities.
“For downstream (activities), we will establish a methanol factory that is owned by Sarawakians through the state government.
“It (methanol) can be exported overseas as now a tonne of methanol costs US$ 300. If the production cost for methanol is US$ 220 per tonne, we still earn US$ 80 per tonne. If we can produce 50 tonnes per day, you can count how much profit we can get.”
In assuring the people that the state government would develop the state's economy prudently, he said the profit from these activities would be channelled to DBOS and the bank will use the capital for its banking business.
During the event, Abang Johari's wife Datin Amar Datuk Juma'ani Tun Tuanku Bujang presented Hari Raya contributions to 14 orphans from Samarahan.
Among those present at the gathering were Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim, who is also Batang Lupar MP; State Legislative Assembly speaker Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar; Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah; Julaihi, Assistant Minister of E- Commerce Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais, Samarahan MP Rubiah Wang, Sadong Jaya assemblyman Aidel Lariwoo, Muara Tuang assemblyman Datuk Idris Buang, Stakan assemblyman Dato Sri Mohammad Ali Mahmud and Simunjan assemblyman Awla Dris.
Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, Chief Minister