SPAOH: Spaoh will get a RM20 mln bridge soon to replace its current single carriage bridge.
Announcing this here on Monday, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas said its architectural design was still being finalised but it would be an iconic one.
He said this before the breaking of fast with the Muslim community at the Spaoh mosque.
“Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg told me Spaoh needed a better and bigger bridge.
“This is because with the airport to be built here, it is important we have good facilities to cope with the expected increase in traffic.
“We have, after all, a major agriculture development area, the Bukit Sadok Agropolitan area, sited here.
“The new Second Coastal Road from Sri Aman, too, will link up Spaoh,” he said.
Uggah added that with the airport here, there would be plans for more economic activities in the sub district.
“We are looking at commercial scale cultivation of durian, especially the Musang King variety, rambutan, pineapple, banana and vegetables,” he said.
He said a plan was being hatched for an agropark to be set up here as well.
Suitable plots in the agropark would be rented out to interested but landless agropreneurs.
Other major projects that had been approved here included a new market, a mini stadium and a waterfront beautification project, he added.
He said the state government was expected to spend about RM30 mln on them.
“Spaoh is progressing step by step. I hope the momentum will continue for the people’s benefit,” Uggah, who is also the Modernisation of Agriculture, Native Land and Regional Development Minister, said, adding that a model fertigation farm would soon be created at the SMK Spaoh compound to introduce modern and high-tech farming methods like fertigation to the people.
“We must modernise our agriculture sector. The new methods are not only more productive but less labour intensive as well,” he said.
At the function, he approved grants totalling RM50,000 to repair 10 village surau and RM10,000 for the Spaoh mosque.
He also approved another RM5,000 for Muslim religious activities.
Betong MP Datuk Robert Lawson Chuat also approved a matching grant of RM60,000 to the 10 surau.
Earlier at a meet-the-people session at Rumah Francis Nyangau in Penom near Betong, Uggah announced a development grant of RM593,000 plus RM355,000 to the various women bureaus for about 100 longhouses in his Bukit Saban constituency.
Chuat similarly announced a grant of RM285,000.
