MIRI – The Sarawak and Federal governments have been urged to set a deadline for the completion of the Sarawak-Sabah Trans Borneo Highway that will bypass Brunei.
Social activist and Mulu Caves tour group leader Willie Kajan said setting a deadline remains important as past promises to build the highway had gone unfulfilled for so many years.
Speaking to The Vibes, he suggested both governments chart a similar path used by Petronas to construct the Sabah-Sarawak Gas pipeline project which spans 600km to construct the highway.
“That gas pipeline connects Sabah and Sarawak and bypasses Brunei.
“It stretches from Kimanis in Sabah into Sarawak via the Lawas and Limbang districts into the deep interior of Baram district, and then into Miri district, and onwards to Bintulu.
“That same route can be the layout for the Trans Borneo Highway.
“Of course, the highway must be built at a safe distance from the huge gas pipelines,” he said.
Aside from leading local and foreign tourists into the world-famous Mulu National Park, Kajan also travels between both states on a frequent basis.
His comments come after recent reports stated that the construction of the Sarawak-Sabah Trans Borneo Highway had commenced.
On Monday, Sarawak Deputy Regional Development and Agriculture Modernisation Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Ismail said construction has begun in the town of Lawas in northern Sarawak near the Brunei border.
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 for those travelling or transporting cargo.
There are eight immigration and customs checks that a driver from Miri needs to reach Lawas, as they have to pass through Brunei via Limbang.
Miri is separated from Limbang by about 200km of Brunei territory.
Limbang, meanwhile, is sandwiched between two sections of Brunei, and Lawas is separated from Limbang by the eastern Brunei section.
A road drive from Lawas town to the Sabah border takes only 30 minutes. – The Vibes, June 8, 2022
