KAPIT: Sarawak is targeting 7,000 telecommunications towers to be built in populated areas of the state.
Utilities and Telecommunications Minister Datuk Julaihi Narawi said the government is very proactive in the implementation of this project to ensure the needs of the people are prioritised.
“We already have a clear agenda … we don’t want any areas to be left behind, especially the rural areas, as the rural communities too will get to enjoy the facilities provided by the Sarawak government and also federal government agencies,” he told a press conference after the launch of the Sarawak Multimedia Authority Rural Telecommunication (SMART) at Rh Empawi, Ng. Sekukut, yesterday.
According to Julaihi, Sarawak now has as many as 600 telecommunications towers implemented over two phases.
“For the first phase, some of the 300 towers have been installed with the necessary equipment by the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC) and are expected to be fully completed by the end of this year.
“We have learned from past experiences and for the second phase, we are using a new strategy which is to install the tower simultaneously with the necessary equipment to expedite the project,” he added.
Commenting on the issue of way leave relating to the construction of telecommunications towers, Julaihi said it was done with the agreement of all parties involved.
“This is indeed a big challenge that not only involves the construction of telecommunication towers but also other things such as the installation of electric cables and so on.
“This issue requires cooperation between all parties and the implementation of the construction should not be hindered,” he added.
Also present were Deputy Minister of Utilities and Telecommunications Datuk Liwan Lagang, SDEC chairman Tan Sri Datuk Amar Morshidi Abdul Ghani and Deputy Minister in Sarawak Premier’s Department (Native Law and Customs) Jefferson Jamit Unyat.
