KOTA SAMARAHAN: Samarahan Division is set for major transformation over the next five to 10 years through several large-scale infrastructure projects, says Asajaya assemblyman Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
He said the developments will include a new international airport, an elevated highway and an Autonomous Rail Transit (ART) line linking the area to Kuching city.
Abdul Karim said the elevated highway, which could become among the longest of its kind in Malaysia, will run from Kampung Tambey through Sebuyau and Gedong before cutting across towards Sambir and Sebandi and continuing out to sea, where a major deepwater port is planned off the coast of Asajaya.
“If you build a normal road on peat soil, within six months of completion it starts to undulate again,” he said during the Belia Gobiz Samarahan @ Asajaya 2026 opening ceremony here today (May 9).
He confirmed that gazette notices for land acquisition had already been published and compensation for landowners was underway, expressing confidence that the new international airport could become a reality within three to five years.
The ART line, he said, will connect the new airport to the existing Kuching International Airport, which is expected to be repurposed as a domestic hub under a dual-airport model similar to KLIA Terminal 1 and 2.
Directing his remarks to the youths present, the Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister urged them to prepare themselves for the opportunities expected to arise from the developments.
“That is the outlook Samarahan will have.
“And we need expertise. This is where our young people will step in and fill these roles,” he said.
He noted that as leaders of his generation step aside, a new cohort of professionals — engineers, administrators, public servants and community leaders — would be needed to sustain Sarawak’s development.
“When we retire, we want to see change.
“Our hope is that our youth, regardless of where they come from, will be developed and made into future leaders — to lead the upper echelons of government, to lead the civil service, to lead communities in the years to come,” he added.
Also present at the programme were Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Rubiah Wang, Deputy Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Datuk Dr Ripin Lamat and Batang Sadong MP Rodiyah Sapiee.
