RM30 mln Sarawak flagpole cost includes surrounding infrastructure, says deputy minister

KUCHING (March 12): The RM30-million Sarawak flagpole at Dataran Ibu Pertiwi in Petra Jaya does not solely represent the cost of the structure itself, said Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi.

The Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Project Coordinator for Regional Development Agencies, DBKU and Islamic Affairs) explained that the publicly cited cost includes the surrounding infrastructure and facilities built as part of the overall development.

“The cost allocated was not only for the flagpole. For example, a flagpole built more than 10 years ago in Kuala Lumpur at 88 metres used a normal pulley system.

“In our case, we use a crane and machinery to hoist the flag, which weighs between one and two tonnes,” he said after officiating the Raya Warehouse Sale at Juma’ani Pavilion.

Dr Abdul Rahman noted that the project also involved constructing Dataran Ibu Pertiwi, linking the site to Fort Margherita.

He said special construction methods, including a micro-piling system, were used to protect the historic fort from vibrations caused by the hilltop site and heavy machinery.

He added that the 99.4-metre flagpole was deliberately built lower than the nearby Sarawak State Legislative Assembly (DUN) building.

“Initially we proposed a height of 120 to 150 metres, but to respect the DUN building, we set it at 99.4 metres,” he said.

He added that the project was funded through private contributions from Petroleum Sarawak Berhad (Petros), Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas), and Shell.