Uggah (seated third left) flanked by Jabu (right), Gerawat (left) and others in a photocall after the meeting.
KUCHING (July 26): The Highland Development Agency (HDA) is prioritising the development of primary infrastructure such as roads and bridges now urgently needed in the Baram area, said its chairman Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah.
Uggah, who is Deputy Premier, said at the moment the agency had identified 29 such projects in addition to 19 water and two power supply projects.
“Of them, eight projects have been completed, while 12 under implementation, 18 under tender documentation and 12 are under detailed design,” he said in a statement today after chairing the agency’s sixth board meeting here on Tuesday.
Uggah, who is also Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development, said the HDA remains dedicated to advancing development projects and integrating socio-economic programmes aimed at improving the rural folks’ well-being and livelihood.
He pointed out the importance for a comprehensive strategy to be devised to integrate the rural sectors into the mainstream of the state development.
“This integration can only be achieved by expediting the infrastructure connectivity across the HDA areas which is currently still behind other regions,” he said.
Meanwhile, HDA regional director Semuel Belawan when briefing the meeting said of the projects under implementation, the upgrading of the existing Long Lama to Logan Sibong Road was ahead of its schedule.
He said this RM66.794 million project was 82.31 per cent done as against its schedule of 58.68 per cent.
“Its projected revised completion date is by February, 2024,” he said.
He also mentioned that five other road projects were on schedule, and these included the upgrading works to the Long Laput road, the Long Silat, Long Tikan/Long Jekitan and Long Mekaba roads and the Long Banga junction to Pa Dalih road.
He also said the construction of the new overhead power line and all its associated works to Integrated Highland Agriculture Station Site 3 in Long Banga costing RM6.226 million and the upgrading and construction of Long Buang, Long Tujang and Long Wat Spur roads were also on schedule.
On delayed projects, Semuel said there were three.
“These are the construction of the single lane RM11.078 million bridge crossing Sungai Layun at Long Kevok and the upgrading and construction of the Long Lama-Temala Junction main road and the Uma Akeh spur road costing RM41.921 million.
“The other delayed project is the RM119.700 million upgrading work of Long Selaan and Long Moh roads.”
Meanwhile, he said the construction and upgrading of the Long Atip and Long Bedians spur road costing RM21.124 million was a critically delayed project.
He said this was due to insufficient manpower and construction materials at the site and the poor performance by the contractor.
The meeting was attended by former deputy chief minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu who is the advisor to HDA, Mulu assemblyman and Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Labour, Immigration and Project Monitoring) Datuk Gerawat Gala, Baram member of parliament Dato Anyie Ngau, Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau, Recoda chief executive officer Datu Ismawi Isumi and all HDA board members.