KOTA SAMARAHAN: The Sarawak Government has allocated more than RM3 billion for the construction of new government quarters across the state.
State Secretary Datuk Amar Abu Bakar Marzuki said the initiative will cover all divisions, districts and sub-districts in Sarawak.
“Preliminary works such as design, land acquisition and site identification have been carried out. We expect construction to begin by the end of this year,” he said after the SCS R&DO Carnival Samarahan 2025 event here today.
Abu Bakar said, unlike previous housing projects, the new quarters will be developed as apartment complexes rather than standalone houses.
“This approach enhances safety and provides more comfortable living conditions for civil servants, especially those serving in rural areas. We want them to work more effectively and with better focus when stationed outside major towns,” he explained.
Abu Bakar also highlighted that the state government aims to ensure every division and district has its own Integrated Administrative Centre (IAC).
“Many divisions already have IACs and for those that do not, plans are underway. At the district level, we want to replace or upgrade old district offices, including those in sub-districts,” he said.
He explained that the initiative, agreed upon by the state leadership, aims to provide a more conducive working environment for government officers serving in rural and remote areas. This will be implemented under the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13), with early works already initiated under RMK12,” he added.
On separate issue, Abu Bakar said Sarawak’s own airline, AirBorneo, will commence operations next year once all regulatory requirements set by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) are completed.
He said that the state government is currently in the planning phase to ensure that every aspect of compliance is fulfilled before operations take flight.
“The aviation industry is unlike any other sector as it involves many legal and regulatory requirements that must be strictly followed. Once all these are met, as mentioned by the Premier, AirBorneo will then begin operations,” he said.
Abu Bakar explained that the rollout would be conducted in stages, starting with the Rural Air Services (RAS) currently managed by MASwings.
On the absorption of existing aviation staff into AirBorneo, Abu Bakar said that the matter was still under discussion.
“Our intention is to absorb all affected staff, but of course, discussions must be held to ensure that it does not disrupt operations,” he said.
