KUCHING: Former Marudi assemblyman Datuk Sylvester Entri Muran said the poor condition of the 44km Miri-Marudi road is ‘something that is beyond my control’.
Commenting on The Borneo Post’s story yesterday highlighting the poor condition of the road, Entri said the road construction is still ongoing.
“The road is still winding. It’s up to the government to disburse the funds progressively in accordance with work done and get it completed,” he said.
In the story, Assistant Minister of Local Government and current Marudi assemblyman Datu Dr Penguang Manggil was asked what happened to the road during Entri’s time as assemblyman, to which the former replied: “For that, you have to ask him”.
According to Entri, during his time as state Barisan Nasional (BN) backbencher from 1996 to 2004, and assistant minister from 2004 to 2016, he managed to secure RM143.4 million in federal funding to upgrade the former logging track into a public road.
“The logging road was taken over by JKR (Public Works Department) from the Army’s Jiwa Murni concept in 2016,” he said.
Entri said JKR found it would cost RM260 million to get the road fully tar-sealed.
“I brought several highpowered officials to inspect the road and only then was it given priority. Hence the first RM66 million federal allocation was approved. Even the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) announced the approval in 2011.
“However, much more was needed. So the federal government approved another RM77.4 million allocation. The total of about RM143.4 million was still not enough as a total of RM260 million or more is in fact needed,” he said.
Entri thanked the army for its part in constructing the Jiwa Murni road.
“Without the Army’s Jiwa Murni project, there would be no Miri-Marudi road so thanks to the prime minister for approving the project,” he said.
Entri suggested the government extend the Pan Borneo Highway to Marudi.
“It can be called the Pan Borneo Highway feeder road to Marudi.”