KUCHING: The state government continued its focus on developing rural areas in Sarawak to ensure the wellbeing of its people.
Demak Laut assemblyman Dr Hazland Abang Hipni said, this is to ensure that development in urban and rural areas is balanced and not lop-sided.
“Under the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition, the development and well-being of its people has always been a priority in line with its intention to be a developed state by 2030.
“This includes initiatives such as allocating large development budgets in rural areas every year to deliver projects through Projek Rakyat, Rural Transformation Programme (RTP) and Minor Rural Project (MRP).
“All these are aimed at sharing the state’s wealth equitably and at the same time reducing the urban and rural development gap,” he said.
He said this when met after monitoring the progress of a RTP project at Kampung Tabuan Hilir recently.
Dr Hazland said balancing urban and rural development is also important for the state economy.
“For example, the establishment of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) and the Regional Corridor Development Authority (Recoda) aim to develop rural areas by creating more employment opportunities and attracting foreign investments,” he said.
Dr Hazland also said there has been a proposal to set up the Southern Region Development Agency (SRDA) for three constituencies — Tanjong Datu, Pantai Damai and Demak Laut.
“This will focus on the tourism sector based on nature, marine, health, archaeology, education and agriculture. It will be able to improve Sarawak’s economy and the locals,” he said.
The RTP project at Kampung Tabuan Hilir was aimed to prevent soil erosion in the area. The RM100,000 project commenced on Nov 10 last year and is expected to be completed by March 30.
