MARKET DEVELOPMENT
Plans in Place to Make Lawas A Regional Hub
Plans in Place to Make Lawas A Regional Hub
30/07/2014 (Borneo Post) - The state government has a masterplan to further develop Lawas into a regional hub.
According to Second Resource Planning and Environment Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, plans are in place to upgrade infrastructure such as roads, electricity and water supplies as well as telecommunication.
“Infrastructure such as road, water, electricity and telecommunications is still very much lacking. Though we managed to extend the coverage there are still quite a number of areas not covered yet.
“That’s why we are continuing to focus on infrastructure development here to provide better connectivity. For example, roads, we will continue to seek funding so we can upgrade some of the roads connecting Lawas to Ba Kelalan and other areas. Part of it had been implemented under ‘Jiwa Murni’ programme,” he told BAT IV at his Hari Raya open house here yesterday.
Awang Tengah, who is also Public Utilities Minister, said to ensure that infrastructure such as roads could be implemented successfully in Lawas, the people’s cooperation is much needed, especially when there is a necessity for land acquisition.
“Likewise for electricity, not all areas can be connected to the grid. Therefore, we have to do it in parallel by giving the people alternative system such as mini hydroelectricity and solar hybrid in remote areas.
“We also can explore the usage of biomass. I think this can be done because we have quite a big area already planted with oil palm. Apart from wood waste, oil palm can also provide us opportunity to explore biomass.”
Awang Tengah, who is Minister of Industrial Development, admitted that not all areas in Lawas could be connected to the grid system due to the terrain and topography.
In terms of education and skills development, he said the federal government had agreed to the setting up of Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) in Lawas and a plot of land had been allocated near the town for this purpose.
“The setting up of MRSM here will provide opportunity for people in this northern part of Sarawak to take up skills training. At the moment, both Limbang and Lawas have no proper skills training centre.”
Although the courses had yet to be finalised, he said one of the considerations would be agriculture, adding that the training is required as Lawas is an agriculture-based town.
“We need one more secondary schools already approved in principle by the government and upgrading of some secondary and primary schools. There are some primary schools in very poor condition and in need of upgrading.”
Awang Tengah, who is Bukit Sari assemblyman, said the federal government had approved allocation for a new hospital in Lawas but implementation of the project was “a little slow”.
A temporary hospital had been set up at shoplots to treat patients.
“Implementation was approved two years ago. They told me they were going to start but still a little slow. The contractor had been selected and the contract awarded.”
Economically, Lawas still depended on timber and oil palm industries but livestock rearing would be another industry to look at.
Apart from focusing on providing facilities for recreational activities in Lawas, the state government would be looking into providing housing, especially low cost houses to the people in areas such as Lawas, Sundar and Trusan.
According to Second Resource Planning and Environment Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, plans are in place to upgrade infrastructure such as roads, electricity and water supplies as well as telecommunication.
“Infrastructure such as road, water, electricity and telecommunications is still very much lacking. Though we managed to extend the coverage there are still quite a number of areas not covered yet.
“That’s why we are continuing to focus on infrastructure development here to provide better connectivity. For example, roads, we will continue to seek funding so we can upgrade some of the roads connecting Lawas to Ba Kelalan and other areas. Part of it had been implemented under ‘Jiwa Murni’ programme,” he told BAT IV at his Hari Raya open house here yesterday.
Awang Tengah, who is also Public Utilities Minister, said to ensure that infrastructure such as roads could be implemented successfully in Lawas, the people’s cooperation is much needed, especially when there is a necessity for land acquisition.
“Likewise for electricity, not all areas can be connected to the grid. Therefore, we have to do it in parallel by giving the people alternative system such as mini hydroelectricity and solar hybrid in remote areas.
“We also can explore the usage of biomass. I think this can be done because we have quite a big area already planted with oil palm. Apart from wood waste, oil palm can also provide us opportunity to explore biomass.”
Awang Tengah, who is Minister of Industrial Development, admitted that not all areas in Lawas could be connected to the grid system due to the terrain and topography.
In terms of education and skills development, he said the federal government had agreed to the setting up of Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) in Lawas and a plot of land had been allocated near the town for this purpose.
“The setting up of MRSM here will provide opportunity for people in this northern part of Sarawak to take up skills training. At the moment, both Limbang and Lawas have no proper skills training centre.”
Although the courses had yet to be finalised, he said one of the considerations would be agriculture, adding that the training is required as Lawas is an agriculture-based town.
“We need one more secondary schools already approved in principle by the government and upgrading of some secondary and primary schools. There are some primary schools in very poor condition and in need of upgrading.”
Awang Tengah, who is Bukit Sari assemblyman, said the federal government had approved allocation for a new hospital in Lawas but implementation of the project was “a little slow”.
A temporary hospital had been set up at shoplots to treat patients.
“Implementation was approved two years ago. They told me they were going to start but still a little slow. The contractor had been selected and the contract awarded.”
Economically, Lawas still depended on timber and oil palm industries but livestock rearing would be another industry to look at.
Apart from focusing on providing facilities for recreational activities in Lawas, the state government would be looking into providing housing, especially low cost houses to the people in areas such as Lawas, Sundar and Trusan.