Uggah: New committee to oversee road maintenance challenges, including ferry crossings

KUCHING (Jan 18): The Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development (MIPD) will set up a committee to oversee challenges faced in road maintenance, including ferry crossings.

Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said the establishment of the Infrastructure and Asset Monitoring Committee is in line with the ministry’s efforts in upholding principles of good governance and integrity to ensure the delivery of excellent services.

“I have tasked my deputy minister (Datuk Aidel Lariwoo) with the setting up of the Infrastructure and Asset Monitoring Committee, which will closely monitor any challenges and issues faced in road maintenance, including ferry.

“The ferry is another challenge that we are facing, especially during this monsoon season,” said Uggah, who is Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development.

He said the committee is mandated to produce its first performance report within six months, specifically by June after Gawai Dayak.

“(Public Works Department Sarawak director Datu) Richard Tajan will present us with the report, and a subsequent meeting with all service providers will be convened to examine the findings.

“We are committed to closely monitoring contractors’ performance, and as emphasised by the director earlier, warnings will be issued where necessary.

“We will not hesitate to take decisive action against any contractors found to be acting irresponsibly,” he stressed at JKR Sarawak’s inaugural State Road Maintenance’s Gala Night here last night.

Uggah also launched the Public Road Intelligence Management System (Prims), a mobile app aimed at driving service delivery efficiency.

“I hope it is intelligent enough to give us the feedback that we need. This is to identify the digital transformation to drive service delivery efficiency for the rakyat.

“I would also like to strongly urge and encourage everyone to continue to evolve and explore ways to enhance services through innovative solutions and technological advancement, including the generative artificial intelligence,” he said.

Several awards were presented during the event to service providers for 2022 and 2023 under the Performance-Based Contract for Long-Term Management and Maintenance of State Roads in Sarawak, and Divisional Road Condition Awards to JKR Divisional Offices.