LIMBANG: Bigger infrastructural developments are likely to be in store for Limbang through a new long-term masterplan.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the masterplan may be put into action once the district’s second bridge project reaches completion.
He said the idea was mooted to provide more infrastructural development including developing the riverbank areas to complement the second Limbang bridge project, as well as to develop areas across the bridge in view of better connectivity.
“This is a long-term masterplan and I am confident that with the road developed under the Northern Region Development Agency (NRDA), Limbang and Lawas can be connected and completed with a good road including up to Gunung Buda.
“Because the road up to Gunung Buda shares one land with Mulu, we will build a road from Marudi to Long Terawan and from Long Terawan to Mulu which will connect to Gunung Buda. Meaning the commute from Miri to Limbang can be traversed via road (without passing through Brunei), God willing,” he said.
He said this in his speech when officiating at the newly completed Surau Darul Ehsan Tun Abang Haji Openg at Kampung Bunga Raya, here today.
“It does require quite a large allocation but thank God, Sarawak now has a little more income after I implemented the sales tax on oil and gas so we use this for the people to develop.”
Abang Johari said he is only serving his fifth year as Sarawak’s Premier and has a lot more in store for Limbang’s development landscape in the coming years.
“This includes building a road connecting Limbang to Lawas under NRDA where the state government channelled a sum of RM1.5 billion to develop Limbang and Lawas.”
Apart from that, the Premier also addressed issues related to delayed projects here, particularly the Limbang second bridge project and the Limbang Waterfront project.
“It is indeed a bit delayed because there was an unexpected pandemic. This is a challenge to test our faith and how patient we can be to face the problems,” he added.
The RM187 million bridge project that is fully funded by the Sarawak government with construction works commencing in 2017 aims to provide a vital and first international link between Limbang and Brunei.
The project now faces an April 2023 deadline as work progress was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
