Sarawak pushes for federal funding to fix 2,500km of damaged rural roads in Baram, with 1,000km in Telang Usan alone needing urgent repairs.
MIRI: At least 2,500km of rural roads in Baram district are in poor condition and require urgent repairs, with the Sarawak government seeking funding assistance through the Federal Government’s Malaysian Road Records Information System (MARRIS), says Telang Usan assemblyman Datuk Dennis Ngau.
Ngau, who is also chairman of the Sarawak Tourism Board, said about 1,000km of the affected roads are located within his Telang Usan constituency alone.
He said many of these roads were former logging roads left behind after timber companies ceased operations.
“My constituency, Telang Usan, alone has at least 1,000km of these rural roads that were previously used by logging companies.
“Funding from MARRIS has enabled repairs to be carried out on about 200km of damaged roads in Telang Usan.
“The remaining 800km are being repaired in stages,” he said during the Federation of Orang Ulu gathering in Miri.
Ngau said efforts are also underway to secure MARRIS allocations to repair roads throughout Baram district.
“Throughout Baram district, at least 2,500km of these rural roads will be repaired, and we are sourcing MARRIS funding for this purpose.
“The close cooperation between the federal and state governments has facilitated repairs to these roads, which are vital daily links for the large interior population,” he said.
He added that hundreds of ageing rural bridges in Telang Usan and other parts of Sarawak also require urgent attention.
Rural roads across Sarawak connect more than 6,000 longhouses and scattered settlements, many of which have experienced deterioration after logging operators left the areas.
Ngau said upgrading rural roads and bridges remains among the state’s top infrastructure priorities.
“All these infrastructure upgrades will require substantial funding.
“That is why both the state and federal governments need to contribute,” he said.
