KUCHING: Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah wishes to return to Sarawak – in 2030, when the Pan Borneo Highway is fully completed.
“I have been informed that the Pan Borneo Highway is projected to be fully completed between 2026 and 2030.
“Here, I would like to personally extend my gratitude to the former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, and the government of the day at that time for their efforts in realising the Pan Borneo Highway project.
“I hope it will be constructed properly and with quality. Hopefully, if I live long, in 2030, I will come back (to Sarawak). Even if I am a bit older by then, I’ll be back. God willing,” he said during the closing ceremony of the ‘Kembara Kenali Borneo’ expedition and state banquet held at Pullman Hotel here last night (Sept 12).
Al-Sultan Abdullah said he was also informed by a minister and Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg in an earlier speech about Sarawak’s plan to implement more infrastructure development.
“As I mentioned the other day, one of the objectives of this trip (Kembara Kenali Borneo) was to get to know the states of Sabah and Sarawak because I really want to know the people better and observe the development in every corner of Sabah and Sarawak.
“In short, thank God throughout the journey, there were roads and highways. Sometimes, the highway felt like we were in Dubai. Sometimes, it felt like riding a rollercoaster,” he quipped.
Earlier, the King and his families embarked on an 11-day Kembara Kenali Borneo expedition which began on Sept 3 in Tawau, Sabah and which will conclude in Telok Melano today (Sept 13).
The expedition covered a total distance of 2,154km along the Pan Borneo Highway, connecting Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei.
