KUCHING: The Greater Kuching Coordinated Development Agency (GKCDA) has now officially entered the implementation phase of the multi-million projects, signalling a critical transition from planning to on-the-ground execution of development projects across the Greater Kuching area.
GKCDA Special Administrative Officer, Datuk Ik Pahon Joyik, said the agency is moving decisively to roll out priority projects after extensive groundwork involving planning, coordination and feasibility assessments.
“GKCDA is now in implementation mode. The focus at this stage is to ensure that projects identified under the Greater Kuching development framework are executed efficiently and in a coordinated manner,” he said.
He explained that the implementation phase involves projects under the RM150 billion development allocation, covering strategic sectors such as infrastructure, social, economic and other developments.
Ik said GKCDA was established to act as a central coordinating body to streamline development efforts involving the state assemblymen of the 10 constituencies, community leaders, multiple agencies and local authorities within the Greater Kuching region.
He said consultants have been appointed to analyse, plan and manage all projects that had been identified, and they were given between two to three months to come up with the designs, do the survey work or do the soil testing (for bridge projects).
“Once the designs are ready, we present them to the respective assemblyman for them to see. If there is no objection from them, then we call for tender. Tender normally takes two months.
“So our target, by late August or in September, all the multi-million projects will be awarded.
Those projects, which cost a few hundred thousand Ringgit all have been completed,” he told Sarawak Tribune in his office recently.
Ik said for those projects that are implemented by the state Public Work Department (PWD), about 90 per cent have been tendered, adding that it was just a matter of going on the ground to do the survey work like road alignments and paying compensation that are agreed upon before the infrastructure projects can take off.
He said except for two or three projects that may have to drag on to 2028 or 2029 because of the duration period to complete it, most of the multi-million projects will be completed by end of next year.
“Maybe we can expect about 60 per cent of the projects implemented by JKR to be completed by end of next year. Our target, if possible, is 80 per cent.
“But you know the implementing agencies also have so many other projects to implement because even our rural transformation projects (RTPs) and the other rural development agencies (RDAs) under us are also implemented by them.
“Actually, most of the implementing agencies involved in the RDAs’ projects are facing shortages in technical team. And some of the causes of delay are siting because if it is new road, siting must be done.
“And the agency, the Land and Survey Department, doing the siting may also don’t have enough survey team,” he explained.
Ik said although PWD can still do the design while the Land and Survey Department is doing the siting, they still have to follow the procedures to avoid any dispute.
He said in cases like that, GKCDA officers, representatives from the Land and Survey Department, District Office, the ‘ketua kaum’ and the implementing agencies may go to the ground for site inspection and identification.
He said it is not that easy because they have to walk around the area and sometimes they have to use drones to do the siting.
“So we are using the coordinated approach to get the project implemented in GKCDA. That is why they called it a coordinated development agency because it involves every related party. My role, GKCDA’s role is to coordinate.
“All those things will take time. We cannot simply bulldoze people’s land. Those are the sensitivity we have to take care. These are some of the causes of delay which the people do not understand,” he explained.
GKCDA was established in September 2022. At end of 2023, it has organised several labs with the state assemblymen to identify the needs of the people.
Ik said the state assemblymen identified the projects while GKCDA compiled the list before checking them with resident offices and the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) so that they do not overlap, especially with the projects that had been approved under the Malaysia Plan, the RTP or community projects.
He said some of the identified projects were only approved and implemented in 2024, adding that the main agencies involved in the GLCDA projects are the PWD, Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID), Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) and the local councils.
He said a few projects are managed by the Veterinary Department and the Agriculture Department.
“Our job is to coordinate with the implementing agencies. In case there are disagreement by the people, especially the landowners, on the ground, then we called the district officer and have dialogues with them to explain about our intention.
“The reason why we want to build the road is because we want to open up the land. If there is no road how are they going to develop their land to operated their farms,” he said.
