KUCHING: Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim) Sarawak chapter has called for a serious discussion between the federal government and state government on the postponement of the three bridge construction projects in Rambungan, Batang Lupar and Batang Igan.
When visiting Mukah recently, Works Minister Baru Bian was reported as saying that construction of these three projects, which was approved by the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government before the May 9 general election, has been postponed and to be reviewed due to financial constraint.
In expressing the non-governmental organisation (NGOs) disappointment over the reason given for the postponement of the bridge projects, Abim Sarawak chapter president Muhammad Hazim Azhari such statement by Baru received all sorts of reaction including from Assistant Minister of Coastal Roads Datuk Julaihi Narawi who insisted that the Sarawak government would take over these federal projects.
“Therefore Abim Sarawak sees these polemics as a situation that will not benefit Sarawakians. It is only right that leaders from Sarawak work closely to meet people’s needs and expectation. The people in Sarawak still need basic facilities like good and efficient land connectivity,” said Muhammad Hazim.
He said the people could understand the financial constraint situation faced by the federal government to the extend that it has to review projects, but using financial constraint as a justification to postpone the needs of the people in general is too simplistic a view.
“Even if postponement is needed it should have been supported by a more convincing analysis on cost effectiveness,” said Muhammad Hazim