After 14 days on the road, we finally headed towards Gedong for us to end our Kembara Ukas – Demi Rakyat Odyssey.
The odyssey was an inaugural initiative by Unit Komunikasi Awam Sarawak (UKAS) to touch base with reality on the ground, especially on the infrastructural development in the coastal areas and to get feedback to be shared.
From the first day since we camped at Telok Melano on March 8, we traversed the length and breadth of the whole of Sarawak.
Map of Sarawak showing 16 bridges along the coastal road, with seven having been completed and the remaining nine in various stages of construction.
Gedong: The new frontier
Gedong is now the new frontier for Sarawak as it is poised to be the next hub of economic development. Ever since Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Openg was elected as its assemblyman in 2021, Gedong is gradually becoming the new economic nerve centre for Sarawak.
Once a sleepy fishing village located on the banks of the Sadong River, it is positioned for bigger things in the current decade and beyond.
Aerial view of rural Gedong
In time to come, Gedong will be connected via a dual carriageway from Rayang, which is joined to the Pan Borneo Highway, not far from Serian. Gedong will also be linked by a major road to the proposed Tanjung Embang Port and airport, which will be implemented over the next five years. These colossal infrastructural developments are expected to cost some RM100 billion.
Several large-scale projects are currently in motion, including the construction of a new mosque, an integrated administrative centre, and a community hub. These facilities will be located across Gedong and are expected to significantly improve the quality of life for the residents.
Several highway development packages are now being undertaken to enhance connectivity and economic activity across the region, including a new four-lane highway with a dedicated Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) route connecting Serian, Munggu Kupi, Isthmus, and Goebilt via Tanjung Embang.
With these large-scale infrastructural developments, economic initiatives and community-focused facilities underway, Gedong is poised to become a vibrant, modern and well-connected district within Sarawak’s development framework.
Reflecting on our insightful journey, we passed through many major cities, town and settlements in Sarawak. From Telok Melano, we traversed through Sematan, Lundu, Kuching, Kota Samarahan, Asajaya, Sebuyau, Meludam, Pusa, Sarikei, Tanjung Manis, Matu, Daro, Dalat, Oya, Mukah, Balingian, Bintulu, Bekenu, Miri, Limbang, Lawas, Sibu, Betong, Sri Aman and Serian.
All in all, we clocked in almost 4,000 km on both the coastal roads and parts of the Pan Borneo Highway. As we travelled, we saw that the many infrastructural development projects currently being undertaken will definitely provide better connectivity than it is today.
We thank JKR Sarawak for updating us with the latest statistics on all 16 bridges along the coastal road, with seven already completed, and the remaining nine in various stages of construction.
The rakyat’s expectations are simple: better connectivity and smoother drives when all are fully completed. And with the completion of the Second Trunk Road (STR) by 2030, Sarawak will finally have a good road network that will provide travellers with alternative routes from the south to north, which is also augmented by the completion of the entire Pan Borneo Highway from Kuching to Miri.
Aerial view of Gedong
Additionally, the completion of the Sarawak-Sabah Link Road (SSLR) connecting Miri to both Limbang and Lawas to bypass Brunei will be a great boon to locals travelling the entire stretch of Sarawak. The completion of the SSLR, the remote and smaller towns and settlements such as Long Lama, Marudi, Mulu, Bario and Ba’Kelalan will also be well-connected.
Looking towards the future after the completion of these major road networks, Sarawak’s next plan is to build a border security road that will connect all the major towns along the Kalimantan border, from Biawak in the south, passing Tebedu and right up to Lubok Antu, Kapit, Belaga, Sg Asap, Long Lama and Marudi in the north.
In order to complete these modern road networks, Sarawak needs vital funds, especially from the federal government, to allow the state to be on par with the other more developed states in Peninsular Malaysia one day.
An aerial view of Gedong
Under the present leadership of Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Openg, he has efficiently managed Sarawak’s financial resources with much success.
As long as he maintains this beneficial, inclusive and coherent economic strategy and momentum for Sarawakians, his continuous stewardship of Sarawak to be a developed state in five years from now via the Post-COVID Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 is likely to succeed.
— UKAS-WEEKLY ECHO