Abang Johari (third right) presents a certificate to a ‘Sarawak’s Pride’ participant from Sarikei. Looking on from right are Assistant Minister of Urban Development and Resources Datu Len Talif Salleh; Minister of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah; State Secretary Datu Jaul Samion; Assistant Minister in Chief Minister’s Department (Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring) Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali; and Meluan assemblyman Rolland Duat Jubin.
SARIKEI: The lack in basic infrastructure facilities and utilities remains the main setback when it comes to Sarawak’s progress, says Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.
In this regard, he says the Sarawak government has been embarking on many development programmes – all focusing on addressing such setback.
Towards this end, he says the state government has allocated huge funds to undertake infrastructure projects such as works on the coastal highway, and the provision of clean water and electricity supply.
“The allocations under the Rural Transformation Programme (RTP) fund are meant to connect the rural areas with roads and allow the rural people enjoy treated water and electricity supply. It is also hoped that these projects could be expedited further,” he spoke at a community dinner at Sarikei Innovation Centre on Friday, hosted in conjunction with state-level National Day 2019 celebration.
Acknowledging lack of infrastructure and basic facilities as a main factor contributing to Sarawak being rated among the poorest states in Malaysia, Abang Johari said the Sarawak government would make it a priority to put in place all these basic infrastructures ‘to facilitate our economic growth’.
He also believed that some of the rural people were considered poor because they could not utilise their assets to generate incomes.
“Hence, the state government has come up with various programmes to help change the livelihood of rural people for the better, such as encouraging them to plant commercial crops on their land, and (for us to) provide the facilities for the marketing of their products.
“On top of that, the government would ensure that the rural folk would have access to quality education as knowledge could help them to break away from the grip of poverty,” he added.