KUCHING: The federal government has been urged to facilitate Sarawak’s efforts to modernise its public transport system.
Kota Samarahan MP Rubiah Wang said this was to improve the connectivity between one place and another in the state.
“I would like to suggest that the federal government give full support to the Sarawak government in the effort to modernise public transport.
“This includes the provision of round trip buses and Autonomous Rail Rapid Transit (ART) services, especially in Kuching, Samarahan and Serian,” she said in Parliament on Wednesday (Sept 29).
Rubiah also said the effort to strengthen the digital network through the Jalinan Digital Negara (Jendela) initiative was welcomed by Sarawakians.
“In the 11th Malaysia Plan, the government succeeded in building 156 new telecommunication towers and upgrading 404 telecommunication towers, which is more than the initial target set.
“But what we need to prioritise here is the number of points of present (POP) to ensure that the telecommunication facilities provided can really increase the rate of access to online services, especially in rural and remote areas.”
She said it was crucial that the construction of telecommunication towers be able to improve coverage.
“In addition, the provision of infrastructure for connectivity is very important in overcoming the problem of poverty in rural areas.
“Due to that, I would also like to apply to the government to upgrade the village roads through the Ministry of Rural Development.”
Rubiah added that the availability of these roads would further promote economic activities and increase the income of rural residents.
“I hope that the target to provide 700km of paved roads in rural Sarawak can be achieved during the 12th Malaysia Plan.”
