Federal funding sought to build police, fire stations in Batu Kawa

KUCHING: Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian has called on the federal government to provide funding for the construction of a police station and a fire station in Batu Kawa, saying land has already been allocated for both facilities.

He said the proposed facilities, located next to the Pines Square market, were important to support the area’s growing population and ensure essential public services kept pace with its development.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony of the Pines Square market today, Dr Sim said the land allocation had cleared a key hurdle in efforts to secure the two facilities.

“Now that the land has been provided, I hope there will be no further excuses for delaying these facilities,” he said.

He said he had written to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on the matter and hoped the federal government would provide the necessary funding to proceed with construction.

“I also thanked the Prime Minister for providing a new secondary school for the area, and I hope that the police and fire stations would similarly move forward,” he said.

According to Dr Sim, the Sarawak Government spent about RM300 million on infrastructure in Batu Kawa during his first term as its assemblyman, followed by another RM900 million during his second term.

The investments had contributed to the development of residential areas, bridges and riverbank improvements, transforming Batu Kawa into a township offering a wider range of housing, commercial facilities and amenities.

Looking ahead, he said further developments were planned for the area, including new road connections, a proposed third bridge and the development of the Ang Cheng Ho Quarry area, which is expected to feature large shopping centres and new roads.

He also highlighted the Sarawak River bypass as an important infrastructure project to improve connectivity, adding that flooding and road infrastructure issues still required attention despite the significant investments made.

Dr Sim thanked Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Amar Fadillah Yusof for securing RM2.4 billion for the relevant infrastructure development, while stressing that continued cooperation between the state and federal governments was necessary to sustain progress.

“Both levels of government must work together to ensure that development continues,” he said.