A dual-carriageway will be built from Serian to Gedong as part of the state government’s efforts in transforming the latter and its surrounding area into food baskets, said Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg.

He said the proposed road will connect Gedong to Samarahan; Samarahan to Sebuyau; and Sebuyau to the coastal road.

He said he had initially wanted to widen the existing road but cancelled it, as there was another better and shorter road between Serian and Gedong.

“That road is only seven kilometres — so we are going to build a dual-carriageway there.

“When I looked at the plan they completed, I saw the road goes through Rembus in Samarahan, where the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) system starts.

“So I say the ART to Serian will also go past Gedong and to REmbus,” he said at the National Anti-Drug Commemoration ceremony in Gedong today.

Abang Johari pointed out road connectivity development projects are the state government’s long-term plan to open up more land and develop the agriculture sector in a ‘new way’.

He said three days ago, he launched Sarawak’s ‘Biris’ rice which he plans to market in Kuala Lumpur.

He said this was the first and would become one of the state’s approaches in exporting its food.

To achieve that, he said education is important.

In view of this, Abang Johari said he had instructed Swinburne University’s pro-chancellor to set up a lab in Gedong area.

“This means we are going to have a mini Swinburne satellite campus in Gedong to analyse its technology. Aside from that, a Unimas satellite campus will also be set up in Samarahan to cater for Asajaya and Sebuyau.

“Both labs will be funded by the state government; we want the universities to teach our farmers new ways of doing agriculture,” he said.

He added for the future of farmers in Sarawak, the state government will allocate a huge budget to develop the agriculture sector in rural areas.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by RINTOS MAIL

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