FORMER SENIOR MINISTER TAKEN TO TASK
KUCHING: Road access is one of the more pressing rural development projects which the state’s rural populace should not be denied of.
Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) youth chief Datuk Snowdan Lawan, said the second trunk road (STR) project covering most parts of Sri Aman and Betong Divisions, once materialised, would alleviate this problem.
He said this in response to Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh’s statement urging the state government to put on hold the STR project as there were already the Pan Borneo Highway and Coastal Highway projects.
“The STR is crucial because it complements the state government’s effort to distribute and link water pipelines throughout the state by 2025 especially to places and rural longhouses that are bypassed by the Pan Borneo Highway and the Coastal Road networks,” Snowdan said in a statement yesterday.
He pointed out that STR would be a catalyst for development in many inland areas, hence would significantly affect the livelihood of the people in and around Sri Aman, Betong including Debak areas.
“Thus, the project should proceed and not be shelved or cancelled. Looks like PSB is in sync with Pakatan Harapan (PH) — interested to cancel and shelve approved projects.
“Or is Wong Soon Koh or PSB against rural development just because they are urban centric?”
He said it was regrettable to note that a former senior minister had thought that this project to create road access to the rural needy was redundant and served little purpose when he, as member of the cabinet then, did not object to it when it was proposed.
“PSB doesn’t seem to favour rural developments and for that there is no reason for the party to be voted in during the 12th State Election because what is necessary to the rural populace may not be significant to PSB,” said Snowdan.
