Bintulu member of Parliament Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing (right) thanking Abang Johari for his concern over the wellbeing of rural communities.
BINTULU: The huge funding allocated to Sebauh District for the implementation of several key projects by the state government was a blessing for the rural community in Sebauh, said Sebauh District Officer Desmond Douglas Jerukan.
Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg when officiating at the launch of Sarawak Alternative Rural Electrification Scheme (Sares) project at Rumah Irai Gasing, Sungai Binyo in Sebauh last Friday, approved three vital projects for the district.
Desmond said RM150 million has been allocated to build the Sebauh bridge across Kemena (Pekan Sebauh), RM31 million for the extension of Jalan Kampung Hilir including small bridges and RM5 million for the new extension for Sebauh District Office.
“These projects are in tandem with Sebauh being elevated to a full district status since Aug 1, 2015.
“The bridge will link the rural areas across the river to Pekan Sebauh where the present administrative centre, schools, businesses and healthcare clinic is located. Presently, this is linked via ferry services,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.
Meanwhile, he said, the extension to the district office will be a three-storey office complex to house other government agencies that are not there now like the Public Works Department, Rural Water Supply Department and Land and Survey Department.
According to Desmond, with the various government agencies centralised in the district office, it will ensure Sebauh’s rural population need not travel to Bintulu for simple administrative transactions.
“The district will be able to function on its own in planning and development as the government agencies come together at the new office complex.
“Faster decision making leads to faster delivery of services to the rakyat,” he added.
Desmond said the CM’s announcement was a surprise and a meaningful effort made to speed up implementation by next year.
“Even I was not sure if we would be given this much needed bridge. This goes to show our CM’s sensitivity and continuation of Tok Nan’s (Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem) effort to implement rural transformation.
“Detailed plans and proposals will be finalised this year. Hopefully it will be in time for the midterm review of the 11th Malaysia Plan,” he said.
Meanwhile, the people of Rumah Irai Gasing, Sungai Binyo in Sebauh are now enjoying 24-hour free electricity with the implementation of the Sares project.
The Chief Minister launched the project last Friday.
Minister of Public Utilities Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom said it was one of the three approaches being carried out by the state government to increase electricity coverage in remote communities.
“Sares complements the present Rural Electrification Scheme (RES) and Rural Power Supply Scheme (RPSS),” he said.
It is part of the first phase for 13 villages in the remotest part of Sebauh which are only accessible by river.
“We cannot wait any longer so through the Blue Ocean Strategy, (it was) an alternative way to provide 24-hour electricity coverage for rural areas and we thank SEB (Sarawak Energy Berhad) who undertook the project,” said the Kemena assemblyman.