Datuk Joseph Entulu
KUCHING: The RM6 billion allocated for the proposed Second Trunk Road construction should be better utilised on rural infrastructure development, says Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).
“Do you (Assistant Urban Development and Resources Minister Datuk Len Talif Salleh) and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) think that the Second Trunk Road is more important than clean water, electricity, telephone and internet access, proper road access and rural health care? We don’t,” he said in a statement today.
Entulu was responding to Len Talif’s comments calling PSB president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh and PSB youth chief Dr Johnical Rayong Ngipa “irresponsible” for their statements claiming the proposed Second Trunk Road project was ‘redundant’.
The PSB man added their political party would instead channel the RM6 billion to improve the livelihood of the rural community with no access to clean water, electricity, telephone services, internet connection, proper road access and inadequate healthcare.
He said that PSB considered it a “disgrace” that people in rural areas had to obtain water and take baths from the river, using a genset to generate electricity, risking their lives using dangerous logging roads and travelling via the river to receive medical care, despite over 60 years of unbroken rule by the same political parties.
“PSB has different priorities from GPS. GPS can spend RM6 billion on a road that has marginal benefit for the rural people but our priority is to make sure every single sen of the RM6 billion benefits the rural poor in a real and tangible manner.”
Entulu stressed the state government must look at the practicality of the situation when carrying out a project of such scale, especially during this time of economic constraints.
“With the recent Covid-19 impact as well as our limited reserves built up painstakingly throughout the years, this is not the time to splurge on luxuries, which the Second Trunk Road project definitely is.”
He pointed out the state already has the Coastal Highway and Pan Borneo Highway projects, spanning the entire state and connecting and serving most of Sarawak.
Entulu added that Len Talif who had been “travelling along the coastal road for many years” must have realised how connected the Coastal Highway was to travel the entire state efficiently with the remaining bridge connections to be constructed.
While an additional Second Trunk Road running parallel to the Coastal Highway might reduce travel time marginally towards the interior and Pan Borneo Highway, Entulu said the proposed project does not have the cost benefit to be implemented during this immediate time.
Also, with both Coastal Highway and Pan Borneo Highway projects under way, he opined it would be better for both development projects to be completed first and assess how well they serve the community before constructing the Second Trunk Road.
He also pointed out the Second Trunk Road project would cost more than the completion of the commendable Coastal Highway, which links all coastal towns and serving coastal communities.
If it could be afforded, Entulu said the money should be channelled to address the welfare of the rural community, including clean water supply, electricity connectivity, internet coverage and better school facilities for conducive learning environment for students.
“Second Trunk Project is no longer a matter of crucial connections but rather a luxury to construct certain connections to allow for marginal convenience to some.”
Entulus said the proposed project was a luxury the state could not afford, especially now when people were starved of sustainable income, affordable housing, quality education and necessary means for survival.
“We would like to point out that in reality, if Sarawak has all the money in the world, we could and should build everything.”
“We should not just stop at light-rail-transit (LRT) but build mass rapid transit (MRT) with connections to more stations and stops. We should not just have 5G connection but rather aim to build the world’s leading infrastructure providing greater speeds than that of Silicon Valley,” stated Entulu.
He said PSB state legislative assembly representative, party leaders and members felt it would be better for better infrastructure to be built in rural areas.
“Therefore, to Len Talif, while we appreciate your views, make no mistake that PSB definitely has more rural interest at heart than you think.”