S’wak Rivers Board reopens Sematan office to monitor riverine activities

KUCHING (Dec 20): The Sarawak Rivers Board (SRB) office in Sematan has been reopened to closely monitor riverine activities within Sematan and Lundu as well as ensure all regulations are adhered to.

Sarawak Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin said the activities to be monitored include sand extraction, anchorage, passenger transportation and fish farming in rivers.

“In view of the rapid progress of Sematan which also includes river transport and logistics activities, SRB has decided to re-open the Sematan office to regulate its function as stipulated in the Sarawak Rivers Ordinance 1993 and its regulations.

“Also, (this is) to support the local authorities to achieve their mission and vision to revitalise the economy and to achieve sustainable development goals,” he said in a statement.

The SRB Sematan office was officially opened on Tuesday. It is located at the government resthouse building at Jalan Seacom, Sungai Kilong and is administered by the Lundu district office.

Lee explained the office was first set up in 1996 before it was closed on Jan 15, 2019.

Touching on SRB’s facilities in Sematan, Lee said these comprise Sematan Wharf and Sematan RC Jetty which are to cater for cargo activity and landing of passengers.

“Besides these, SRB has two units of Aids To Navigation (AToN) at the Sematan river mouth as the navigational guides.

“In addition, SRB also provides anchorage area at the river mouth of Sematan to facilitate international and local vessels for safe mooring,” he added.

He pointed out navigation safety has always been prioritised as it is part of SRB’s main function to ensure efficient movement and safe navigation of vessels along Sarawak’s rivers.

“There are several types of AToN built and installed such as buoys, day beacons, lights, fog signals, marks and other devices as guides for the mariners.

“Therefore, it is vital to make sure that the AToN is functioning effectively. For that, SRB would need to have scheduled routine maintenance every year to serve the river transport communities,” he said.

On another matter, Lee reminded all Sarawakians to be vigilant and cautious when using riverine transport and facilities, especially under unfavorable conditions such as heavy rain and fog.