Sarawak Latest News

THE clamour for a road link to Kapit in the upper reaches of the Rajang River in central Sarawak is not new. A request for it was first made a long time ago but for some reason, has never been carried through.

At one stage, it was thought that linking Kapit with the rest of the state would not be desirable socially in that it might lead to people bypassing the then district. This may have been true, considering the town and the surrounding areas back then did appear to have little to offer to entice people to stay on.

But things have changed, the economic and geographical landscape in particular, and Kapit Division today is not only one of the most important timber-producing areas in the state but also has a growing population, and on top of that, is politically and socially linked to the rest of Sarawak, especially with the development of hydro power and commercial oil palm projects.

It’s, therefore, to be noted from the disclosure by Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department, Larry Sng, who is also state assemblyman for Pelagus, that during a recent meeting in Kuching, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Patinggi Najib Tun Razak had promised to look into the request for this long overdue road link as well the necessary funding for its construction.

What this indicates is a change of priorities which is to be welcomed, and since the proposed road link from Sibu to Kapit is only a short stretch, its construction deserves due consideration not because it isn’t very long but more importantly, the fact that it will connect the existing road from the lower part of Kapit to the rest of the township in the Upper Rajang.

Later as more funds become available, the entire stretch between Sibu and Kapit can be upgraded and made part of the internal highway system. Among others, this will improve accessibility from the interior to the other parts of Kapit and Bintulu divisions.

The benefits to derive from the proposed road link will be enormous both economically and socially. It will, inter alia, open up opportunities to bring in greater development to benefit the state and private sector investments … and ultimately the people as a whole.

Roads are vital economic lifelines and eminently important in a predominantly agriculture-based society like Sarawak, providing market access for farm produce and improving the mobility of the largely agrarian population.

The lack of a road link to Kapit has brought about a sense of inadequacy among the local populace, particularly when much of rural Sarawak, except for the deep interior near the Indonesian border, is already connected by roads of various grades.

While it is important to upgrade the existing highway from Lundu to Lawas and develop a parallel highway along the coast, the laying of secondary roads deserves no less attention if nearby growth centres and towns are to be integrated into the main highway system so that more people, especially those in the vast hinterland, can benefit from equitable economic growth and development.

This is especially important when the emphasis now is on agricultural development and increasing food production from which farmers, large corporations coming in as investors, the state and its people can benefit.

Food production is becoming critical in view of the rapid growth in world population. And from this perspective, Sarawak is blessed in that it is less affected by natural calamities, allowing for virtually uninterrupted development of the commercial agriculture sector.

To sustain this, it is imperative to have an excellent road network linking all the population centres – for instance Kapit Division which has traditionally served as the main goods and services distribution hub and trading point for the population around the division and the regions in Upper Rajang right up to Belaga and even Bakun.

The benefits already reaped from the present road link between Bintulu and Bakun are self-evident and a new road to be built soon from Bakun to Murum, the site of the new hydro electric power plant, will serve to enhance the economic potential of the area.

In the light of the foregoing, it is to be hoped that work can start soon on the new road link that will bring Kapit even closer to the rest of the state and country.