Proposal for ‘elevated highway’ put up for discussion

PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Urban Planning, Land Administration, and Environment has proposed the construction of an elevated section along the Sarawak Coastal Highway to pass through national parks to ensure the protection of the surrounding ecosystems.

This proposal was announced by Deputy Minister Datuk Len Talif Salleh during the second 2024 Meeting of Environmental Ministers and State Excos Responsible for the Environment (MEXCOE) recently.

“Sarawak submitted two key proposals at the meeting: the Implementation of the Wildlife-Induced Property and Crop Damage Compensation Initiative (BKHT) and the Strategy for Phasing Out Single-Use Plastics.

“Additionally, a proposal for the construction of the Sarawak Coastal Highway was put forward. This included plans for an “elevated highway” to traverse national parks, ensuring the preservation of the ecosystem,” Len Talif shared in a Facebook post.

The meeting, chaired by Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, aimed to gather feedback and consider matters discussed in the previous meeting, which took place in March 2024.

The meeting also recommended steps to address the illegal importation of e-waste and plastic waste, as well as measures to regulate unlicensed e-waste and plastic factories to prevent environmental pollution.