CONSTRUCTION work on the Sarawak-Sabah Highway by-passing Brunei at the northern Sarawak sections will be carried out at more locations and at a faster pace this year.
Sarawak Regional Corridor Development Authority (RECODA) chief executive officer Datuk Ismawi Ismuni said work will begin at the Miri to Marudi, Marudi to Mulu and Long Lama to Long Panai sections later this year.
In his updates on the road project for this new year, he said these new links will open up vast opportunities for rural growth.
"These new road links will enhance rural connectivity in the northern Sarawak corridor. They will also open up new opportunities for rural transformations.
"This new year will see more developments earmarked for construction with federal and state funding," he said.
The construction of the Sarawak to Sabah Highway bypassing Brunei is already placed on fast track following the new federal Budget approval of RM 7.4 billion, confirmed the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Sarawak recently.
Its president Kong Chiong Ung said that based on the latest information, four work packages have been confirmed already.
"The contracts for two packages of work for this very crucial Sarawak-Sabah link have already been awarded.
"The remaining two packages of work are also already finalised and the contracts will be sealed.
"This direct Sarawak-Sabah link will transform the socio-economic future of east Malaysia, along with the Pan Borneo Highway.
"The Federal Government has given huge sums of federal money for these road infrastructure upgrades in Sarawak and Sabah," he said.
The construction of the Sarawak-Sabah Highway started from the Lawas district near the Sabah border.
Lawas is located in the northernmost region of Sarawak, after the Brunei border.
Construction work is currently on the Lawas to Merapok route.
The Limbang to Mulu route is also being constructed while the Limbang to Merarap to Lawas route is in the pipeline.
The need for such a highway is vital as the costs of paying travel charges through Brunei and the long queues at the immigration and customs checkpoints have caused a lot of problems to those travelling daily from Sarawak to Sabah through Brunei and vice versa.
There are eight immigration and customs checks that a driver from Miri needs to go through just to get past Brunei to reach Lawas via Limbang and onwards into Sabah.
Miri is separated from Limbang by about 200 km from the Brunei Sultanate.
Limbang is sandwiched between two borders of Brunei while Lawas is divided from Limbang by another piece of Brunei territory.
Lawas town to Sabah is only 30 minutes by road. - January 3, 2025
