Federal approves RM150 mln for urgent repairs to Sungai Sarawak Barrage

KUCHING (March 13): The federal government has approved RM150 million for urgent repair works on the Sungai Sarawak Barrage following concerns over erosion affecting the structure.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the decision was made after discussions with Sarawak leaders.

“Before I boarded the plane earlier, there was already a request regarding the barrage which has been damaged and needs immediate repair.

“So we have agreed, after hearing the briefing, to approve around RM150 million to immediately repair the barrage,” he said at the Sarawak-level Madani 2026 Iftar at Masjid Jamek Negeri Sarawak here.

Anwar said the matter was raised by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Amar Fadillah Yusof, who had highlighted the need for urgent action.

He added that the federal government is committed to ensuring essential infrastructure projects affecting the people are implemented without delay.

“For us, matters such as water supply or electricity are urgent for the people. We should not give excuses to delay implementation,” he said.

Anwar also assured that the federal government would work closely with the Sarawak government to resolve issues involving several development projects.

“There are proposals from the Sarawak government, and the Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg has spoken about several projects that are currently delayed at the federal department level.

“I will inform the Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to find a solution. Within a few weeks after Hari Raya Aidilfitri, we will make decisions so that implementation can proceed more effectively with the cooperation of the Sarawak government,” he said.

He said this collaboration would help ensure water supply projects, particularly those affecting rural communities, can be expedited.

Meanwhile, Fadillah, who is also Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, said the approval was among matters discussed during a meeting between the federal and Sarawak governments earlier in the day.

According to him, the Sarawak government had presented a briefing on several water-related projects in the state, especially rural water supply initiatives.

“In the meeting earlier, a briefing was given by the Sarawak government regarding water projects in the state.

“The focus was on the implementation of rural water supply projects and how we can strengthen cooperation between the state and federal governments to accelerate their implementation,” he told reporters when met after the iftar event.

Fadillah said discussions also covered flood mitigation efforts, including concerns over the integrity of the Sungai Sarawak Barrage.

“We also discussed flood mitigation plans, and one of the matters raised by the state government involved the integrity of the barrage, where erosion has occurred both upstream and downstream.

“That was where the approval of RM150 million, as announced by the prime minister earlier, came in,” he said.

He expressed gratitude on behalf of the ministry, MPs, and residents in Kuching for the federal government’s allocation.

“I would like to thank the prime minister for approving the allocation,” he said.

However, he noted that the Sarawak government would need to submit the necessary details promptly so the proposal could be brought to the relevant federal authorities.

“The state government needs to submit the details as soon as possible so that we can bring the matter to the Ministry of Economy and also to the Cabinet,” he added.