KUCHING: Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg wants to revitalise Gedong to its former glory, restoring it to a centre for trading and administration it once was.
He said according to history, Gedong was once a trading centre and administration centre of Sadong.
“After James Brooke (first White Rajah of Sarawak) came to Sarawak, not only it lost its importance as a trading centre but also less focus was given in terms of community and infrastructure development.
“Then, the first thing I did after I became the chief minister was to declare Gedong as one of the districts in Sarawak.
“Thus, the government has plans to develop Gedong and this includes building basic infrastructures and other initiatives,” he said.
He said this during the Gabungan Pertalian Keluarga’s (GPK) Simpulan Kasih ceremony held at Raia Hotel and Convention Centre Kuching on Saturday (Oct 28) evening.
Abang Johari, who is also the Gedong assemblyman, further said Gedong would be connected to Serian through road infrastructure as well widening of the road in Munggu which will allow the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system to access Gedong.
“At the same time, we also bring Gedong and Simunjan closer by building roads from Ulu Simunjan up to Gedong, while Gedong will also be connected to Samarahan,” he said.
In addition, he said, with the Pan Borneo Highway and the road infrastructure projects implemented by the Sarawak government from Serian to Gedong, there is a possibility for people to use the road to reach Gedong to Sarikei and Sibu.
“So, when this happens, Gedong is poised to be an important hub, and of course this will create an economic impact in the area,” he said.
He also said the need for Gedong to have its own township, similar to the Isthmus, in Kuching.
“So, this will mark the beginning of Gedong’s development as one of the districts,” he said.
Most importantly, he said, Gedong and Simunjan became key trading centres leveraging their available resources and adding value through modern agriculture.
“We want to develop the area with infrastructures and boost the economy through modern agriculture.
“This is why, the state government has agreed for Swinburne University of Technology of Sarawak Campus and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) to set up its campus here and this will provide the knowledge and training for our ‘Anak Gedong’,” said Abang Johari.
