Uggah: Ministry to conduct more rural site visits to prevent ‘sick’ projects

KUCHING (Aug 16): The Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development will hold another round of site visits in Sarawak’s interior to monitor development projects so they do not become ‘sick’, said Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.

The Deputy Premier said such visits will check on the progress of development projects on site to ensure they are completed on time.

He said during a five-day trip last week, his ministry covered about 80 per cent of areas statewide from Miri to Bintulu, Mukah, Kapit, Sibu, and Sarikei.

“This time, the trip from Miri to Bario is also by land. My ministry is now planning another trip with the state Public Works Department (JKR),” he said during a dinner last night with the state JKR contingent, which will compete at the JKR national sports carnival in Kuala Lumpur.

Uggah said such visits are beneficial to the ministry’s future planning to further upgrade infrastructural facilities, particularly in rural areas.

“This is about linking those longhouses and villages still without roads and bridges. It is also about upgrading and maintaining those abandoned or inactive logging roads, which the people are still using to move around,” he said.

Briefings and dialogues with the respective elected representatives, he said, enabled them to voice out their expectations, problems, and the assistance needed from the ministry.

In particular, he said the ministry wanted to know their plans to enhance road connectivity in their areas, including where new roads and bridges would be needed.

“So, all information is very useful to our present and future planning,” Uggah said, adding that all longhouses and villages should be well connected as Sarawak targets to achieve developed status by 2030.

On the sports carnival, Uggah urged the Sarawak contingent to bring back medals in each of the eight events they are competing in.

“Sarawak is currently hosting the Sukma 2024 and wants to win this edition. Likewise, we want our JKR contingent to do well and bring back some medals. There will be incentives for the teams doing well in their events,” he said.

He also advised the state contingent to use the carnival as an opportunity to exchange experience and learn from their counterparts on project implementation and preventing sick projects.

Among those present were Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development Datuk Aidel Lariwoo, ministry permanent secretary Datuk Chiew Chee Yaw, and state JKR director Dr Cassidy Morris.