MRSM Lawas stalled since Taib era despite land allocation, Deputy Premier urges federal action

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By Karen Bong

LIMBANG, April 11: The long-proposed construction of a Mara Junior Science College (MRSM) in Lawas, first mooted during the era of the late Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, remains stalled despite land having already been allocated.

Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said there has been no visible progress on the project to date, raising concerns over delays in delivering key educational infrastructure for the northern region.

“The MRSM in Lawas was proposed since the era of Tun Taib, and land has already been allocated, but until now there are no signs that construction will begin,” he said during the Sarawakku Sayang Programme for Limbang Division at the Limbang Sports Complex today.

He expressed hope that the federal government, particularly Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, would lend support to ensure the project becomes a reality.

Awang Tengah stressed that the establishment of MRSM Lawas is crucial to the broader vision of transforming Limbang and Lawas into an education hub capable of nurturing future talent and professionals.

He pointed out that several initiatives are already in place, including Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS) in Lawas and a new GIATMARA centre in Limbang.

“These efforts are part of our plan to develop skilled human capital not only for northern Sarawak but also to open up collaboration opportunities with neighbouring regions such as Sabah, Labuan, Brunei, and Kalimantan,” he added.

In October 2024, Minister of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW) Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that the federal government would reassess the implementation of new MRSM projects, including the delayed Lawas institution, following a significant increase in construction costs.

He said the original construction cost for MRSM Lawas was estimated at RM130 million based on the Value Management Lab findings. However, a further RM21.67 million increase under the Preliminary Detailed Abstract (PDA) estimates has raised the total cost to RM151.67 million.

As a result, the project has been postponed and is expected to be reconsidered under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP).

Meanwhile, the Limbang leg marked the kick-off of the Sarawakku Sayang Programme, which will be rolled out across 12 divisions statewide, and was officially launched by Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg. — DayakDaily

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