Masing flashes the thumbs up as he prepares to operate an excavator to perform the earth-breaking ceremony for the two road projects.
KAPIT: The more than 100km of roads from Kapit town to Nanga Antawau worth some RM1.4 billion is progressing well and scheduled for completion by the later part of 2020, said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing.
He said the projects are part of the Sarawak government’s effort to develop Tunoh Scheme into the administrative centre of the new Bukit Mabong district.
“From a jungle into a growing centre, the state government is determined to bring development to Tunoh Scheme in the form of 24-hour electricity, piped water supply, clinic, school, government rest house, agriculture station and many more.
“Today we are doing the earth-breaking ceremony for the upgrading of the former-logging road to Tunoh Scheme, Melinau and new access road to Tunoh Scheme.
“Once the basic infrastructures and amenities are completed, the next step would be to develop Tunoh township as the administrative centre of Bukit Mabong district, with some half-billion ringgit required to build government offices, quarters, shop lots and others,” said Masing when officiating at the earth-breaking ceremony for the two projects, here on Saturday.
The projects will benefit five longhouses and more than 1,000 residents in Tunoh Scheme and provide a better and safer route between Kapit Town and Tunoh Scheme.
Addressing the crowd, Masing said no one could have imagined the amount of development set to take place in Tunoh.
“I spent a year in Tunoh in 1970 and at that time, this whole area was just forest land. The people who moved here cleared the jungle and built their houses and settled down,” he added.
Masing, who is Infrastructure and Ports Development Minister, also said he was aware of complaints by land owners affected by the current road construction on the compensation received, but said the amount paid by the Sarawak government – covering land, fruit trees and crops – was “standard value” as determined by the Land and Survey Department.
He advised the land owners here to give their full cooperation to the contractors, saying: “The sooner the roads are completed, the better. The roads are for the benefit of all.”
On politics, the deputy chief minister spoke on the importance of safeguarding political stability in the state.
He said the quarrelling and fist-fights at the Parti Keadilan Rakyat Convention in Melaka over the weekend was due to in-fighting in the quest for power, and that such culture should never be allowed to spread to the state.
“I have been in politics for so long, and have never heard of such thing (fighting) happening in Sarawak. Do you think these politicians can serve us? So be very careful in the next state election, and vote for GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) candidates,” he said.
Hulu Rajang MP Datuk Wilson Ugak was among those present at the ceremony.