KAPIT: Upper Rajang Development Agency (URDA) had its first meeting here yesterday.
Its chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing, who is a Deputy Chief Minister, said the meeting was attended by representatives of various ministries responsible for URDA.
“First we had the Sarawak Attorney General’s Office (SAG) to tell us the legal entity of URDA that could identify how we move forward.
“During the meeting, we decided to increase the size of URDA. Before it was only Kapit District and then Belaga District. Now we bring it downward to include Song District and Kanowit District. That would be endorsed by Recoda Board of Management. The total area is about four million hectares.
“We also discussed what we need to do to put Upper Rajang river basin on the map of development,” Masing told a press conference held after the meeting at the Kapit Resident’s Office.
The Baleh assemblyman thanked Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg for giving them URDA to develop Upper Rajang Basin.
“We have to understand that Upper Rajang is very critical to our development not only to this area but the whole of Sarawak. We have three big dams, two already been built – Bakun and Murum – and then later by 2025 Baleh dam would be built. These dams can produce 5,400MW of electricity which would power up Sarawak not only in terms of lighting but also industries,” he added.
He pointed out that the next thing they would do is to have the organisation structure which that would be done by Recoda.
Masing was pleased that the meeting was attended by all the members of Parliament and members of the State Legislative Assembly from Kapit Division.
Among them were Kapit MP Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi, Hulu Rajang MP Datuk Wilson Ugak, Belaga assemblyman Liwan Lagang, Murum assemblyman Kennedy Chukpai, Bukit Goram assemblyman Jefferson Jamit and Pelagus assemblyman Wilson Nyabong including Ngemah assemblyman Alexander Vincent.
Kapit district officer Elvis Didit, Bukit Mabong district officer Douglas Pungga, Land and Survey Department assistant director Peggy Ronin and planning and development consultant Prof Dr Ismawi Zen were among the people attending the meeting.
The URDA board is chaired by Masing with Nanta as his deputy. Members of the board are Datu Ismawi Ismuni (Deputy State Secretary); Tan Sri Datuk Amar Wilson Baya Dandot (CEO of Recoda); Datu Chaiti Bolhassan (representing permanent secretary to Ministry of Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development; Rickson Kauk (representing permanent secretary to Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports); Joseph Belayong (Kapit Resident); Muhamad Yakup Kari (Bintulu Resident) and Leslie Chai (representing Sarawak Energy Bhd).