AT LEAST 1,000 kilometres of rural roads in Baram district, northern Sarawak, are in poor condition and urgently need repairs, Deputy Minister for Project Implementation and Monitoring Datuk Gerawat Gala said.
Gala, who is also the Mulu assemblyman, stated that his office is compiling information on these roads to pass on to the state and federal governments.
"These rural roads were previously used by logging operators and connect more than 400 longhouses and scattered settlements. I have appealed to both the state and federal governments to take immediate measures to repair and upgrade these roads. The safety of the rural people who use these roads is at risk," he said after attending the Bario Highlands Cultural Festival.
Gala also noted that many bridges along these routes are in poor condition and that upgrading the infrastructure will be costly. "That is why we need both the state and federal governments to address this problem," he added.
The poor state of rural amenities such as roads and bridges has been criticised by social and human rights activists, who argue that Sarawak, with its record revenues, should allocate funds to help the rural poor.
Of Sarawak's three million population, approximately one million live in more than 6,000 rural settlements statewide. – July 28, 2024.
