KUCHING: Several road projects in Baleh have received budget approval, including routes in Mujong and towards Bukit Mabong, as efforts continue to improve connectivity to interior communities.
Baleh incumbent Nicholas Kudi Jantai said road accessibility remained one of the main challenges faced by residents, particularly those in remote areas where travelling becomes difficult during the rainy season.
“Some interior areas are still difficult to access, especially during the rainy season. I continue to work with the relevant departments to ensure regular maintenance, particularly for roads that are still logging roads,” he told Sarawak Tribune today (Nov 14).
He said planning was also progressing for several road projects that had received budget approval, including certain roads in Mujong and the route towards Bukit Mabong.
Kudi said improving road connectivity was important to ensure residents could travel more easily and transport their agricultural produce to markets.
Over the past five years, he said, one of the achievements that he was most proud of was improving basic access for residents in the interior areas of Baleh.
“Among the improvements are village roads and bridges connecting longhouses and villages, making travel easier and facilitating the transportation of agricultural produce to markets,” he said.
He added that the Rural Transformation Programme (RTP) projects in the constituency were also being monitored through his service centre to ensure their smooth implementation.
Kudi said he recognised that not all development projects could be completed within a short period, particularly given the geographical challenges of the Baleh constituency.
“The main constraints are usually government planning procedures, phased funding allocations and the challenging geographical conditions in Baleh, as interior areas require higher implementation costs and longer periods to complete compared with other areas,” he said.
Nevertheless, he stressed that the outstanding projects remained on his priority list.
“No promise has been forgotten. All of them remain on the priority list and will be implemented once allocations are available and the necessary approvals are obtained,” he said.
If given another mandate to represent the Baleh constituency in the upcoming 13th Sarawak General Election (SGE13), Kudi said completing ongoing infrastructure projects would be among his three main priorities for the next five years.
“This means ensuring that planned roads, water and electricity projects are fully completed and reach every settlement in Baleh,” he said.
