Better road network for Lingga to achieve ‘food basket’ status
LINGGA: The small town of Lingga will soon enjoy better road connectivity in line with the Sarawak government’s aspiration to develop modern agriculture within its surrounding areas, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg has said.
He says the areas around Lingga, from Stumbin towards Simanggang, have the potential to be developed as the state’s ‘food basket’, and that the government has a five-year plan (2020-2025) to improve the road connectivity leading here.
“Now our food import bill is RM4.7 billion. But we aim to be a net exporter of agriculture products and food products by 2030, and this is where modern technology can play a big role. We have areas in Stumbin, Lingga where we can open up and turn into our food basket. Since Lingga already has road connectivity to Simanggang, the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government will construct another road connectivity, which is from Lingga to Betong, as well as from Lingga to Sebuyau.
Now our food import bill is RM4.7 billion. But we aim to be a net exporter of agriculture products and food products by 2030, and this is where modern technology can play a big role. Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg
“From Sebuyau, the road will link to Batang Lupar Bridge, a project withdrawn by the federal government but now to be implemented by the Sarawak government,” he said when officiating at the earth-breaking ceremony for Lingga Waterfront and the launch of GPS Lingga Service Centre, here yesterday.
The cost of the two projects is estimated at RM10 million.
Abang Johari assured all that the GPS government was committed to completing the Batang Lupar Bridge project and was willing to bear the cost due the importance of the bridge to connect the people and the area.
On another matter, he said he was grateful for the peace and harmony in the state, pointing out that Sarawakians had always been peaceful people who never liked to quarrel among themselves, unlike those in the peninsula who would continually harp on racial and religious matters.
Meanwhile Lingga assemblywoman Simoi Peri, who spoke earlier, said the Lingga old bazaar had the potential to be preserved as a heritage area to attract tourists.
State Secretary Datuk Amar Jaul Samion – himself a Lingga local, Assistant Minister in Chief Minister’s Department Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali and Batang Lupar MP Datuk Seri Rohani Karim were among those present at the events.