Kapit to be further developed with infrastructure facilities, says Abang Johari

SIBU: The Sarawak government is expanding the riverine town of Kapit with the development of infrastructure facilities.

Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said works on an extended area to be called Kapit Baru include the construction of roads to link the town to its surroundings.

Others were the construction of housing schemes, extension of commercial areas, water and electricity supplies, the airport at Bukit Mambong and roads in Song.

"These projects are under Upper Rajang Development Agency that cover Kapit, Balleh and Mambong. It also covers Project Rakyat and small projects," he said after a state coordination meeting in Kapit on Wednesday (Feb 1).

Abang Johari said these developments were to cover the ongoing rapid development that has also resulted in traffic jams in the town centre.

"We have a masterplan for road extension from the old town to the outskirts," he said.

However, the Premier said they could not achieve the target of completion for most projects due to logistic and land issue problems.

"One of the hindrances for the implementation of these projects is that land owners do not agree to it. Initially, they want projects but due to certain issues which we can overcome, the implementations are delayed," he said.

The other more prominent problem related to logistics was due to the contractors having problems sending construction materials to remote areas like Bukit Mambong.

The government, he said, had so far spent RM400mil in three years for the development of Kapit.

"We still have funds for those projects affected by the delay," he said.