Tanjung Manis water supply project officially launched
TANJUNG MANIS: The RM974.1 million Tanjung Manis water supply project was officially launched yesterday by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
The completed project was given a major boost by Abang Johari when he directed the Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication to install water pipelines at seven locations across the bridges.
He said from the briefing, he noticed there were seven pipelines being constructed under the river and had remarked: ‘If there was a tremor in the ground tomorrow, the pipelines would be affected, as it is on peat soil, and cause the water to flow in a different direction – resulting in water disruption’.
“If there’s a bridge, we strengthen the bridge – keep the pipelines on the bridge. If it leaked, we’d know.
“Otherwise, people would question whether the project was working.
“We use common sense. If you didn’t have enough money, GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) would give you money.
“Keep doing it. The fund is my responsibility – as long as the people can benefit. Let us pray that Sarawak’s revenue will increase,” said the GPS chairman at the launch of the project.
Abang Johari also congratulated Tanjung Manis folks over the completion of the project, and assured them that it was the Sarawak government’s policy to provide basic infrastructure, water and electricity to the rural areas.
“Before, if we depended on the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, sometimes it came and sometimes, it did not.
“We have a new way – we get allocations from our Sarawak fund so certain projects can be executed effectively,” he said.
Abang Johari also instructed the Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication to improve the distribution of water from the Tanjung Manis water supply project, so that treated water could be connected to all the longhouses up to Sibu.
He acknowledged that this would be costly, but said: “As long as I led the GPS government, I would find ways to raise the money.”
Abang Johari also said the ministry would use an app to manage Sarawak’s water supply grid, in which the app could record the locations of all new pipelines within the system, making it easier to maintain it and to identify and deal with leaking.
The event yesterday was also attended by State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki, Minister for Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Julaihi Narawi, Deputy Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development Datuk Len Talif Salleh, Deputy Minister for Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, Deputy Minister for Energy and Environmental Sustainability Datuk Dr Hazland Abang Hipni, and Deputy Minister in Sarawak Premier’s Department (Corporate Affairs and Sarawak Public Communications Unit) Datuk Abdullah Saidol, were present.