‘RES project at Rumah Panjang Lawai to be completed in first quarter of 2018’

THE Rural Electricity Supply ( RES) project at Rumah Panjang Lawai, Selidong is expected to be fully completed in the first quarter of next year.

Once completed, the RM2.7million project will be able to provide electricity to all the 33 families at the longhouse, Assistant Minister of Rural Electricity Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi said.

“My ministry has also urged the Ministry or Rural and Regional Development (KKLW) to prioritise the RES project to be carried out at Rumah Panjang Lembong, Entakong next year,” said Dr Abdul Rahman when replying to a question from Paulus Palu Gumbang ( BN-Batu Danau) at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) yesterday.

To a supplementary question, Dr Abdul Rahman said if the RES project at Rumah Panjang Lembong is not approved, the longhouse will be eligible for the Sarawak Alternative Rural Electrification Scheme ( Sares) as it is only five to six kilometres from the nearest electricity grid.

Among the criteria for a longhouse to qualify for Sares is that the longhouse must not be more than 30 km from the nearest electricity grid, Dr Abdul Rahman told the DUN.

Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of Women, Family and Childhood Development Rosey Yunus said RM195,000 had been allocated to Tabika Kemas Nanga Tada in Kanowit for building maintenance which will be carried out in 2018.

She was answering questions from Alexander Vincent ( BNNgemah) who wanted to know the amount of allocation for the maintenance and upgrading of Kemas kindergartens in Nanga Ngungun, Jagau and Nanga Tada.

Rosey also disclosed that RM16,721,775 was proposed to Kemas headquarters to improve its nurseries and kindergartens in Sarawak, but only RM742,081 was approved to carry out maintenance works on 11 Kemas kindergartens.