THE Sarawak Government remains focused on maintaining and upgrading road infrastructure across the state, with emphasis on quality, community needs, and resilience against natural disasters, says Deputy Premier who is also the Minister for Infrastructure and Port Development, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
During his winding-up speech at the State Legislative Assembly, he stated that Sarawak’s Road Performance Index (RMI) currently stands at 83.04 per cent, reflecting the overall quality of public roads.
“We are taking concrete steps to maintain the quality of our roads by enhancing existing infrastructure to meet the needs of our people and by addressing roads that are suffering severe deterioration,” he said.
To support ongoing maintenance efforts, he said the Public Works Department (JKR) Sarawak continues to utilise allocations under the Malaysia Road Records Information System (MARRIS).
“For 2025, we have approved RM500 million, an increase from RM495 million last year.
“This clearly shows our government’s continued commitment to road maintenance,” Uggah added, assuring representatives for Tanjung Batu and Tamin that road conditions remain a priority.
He also reported on the 24-month pilot programme for rural road maintenance in Baram, which commenced in June 2024.
“In the first year, we focused on addressing the immediate needs of local communities.
“However, we must acknowledge the reality of challenging geography and locality.
“As much as we want to accelerate this programme, we are constrained by the terrain.
“That is why my ministry, together with JKR Sarawak, is currently reviewing the implementation strategy to enhance its effectiveness, particularly in maintaining ex-logging roads,” he added.
Recognising the impact of natural disasters, Uggah noted that infrastructure damage has increasingly disrupted daily life, limiting access to vital services.
“Natural disasters pose a serious threat to our infrastructure and the movement of our people.
“That’s why the Sarawak Government is determined to respond swiftly with emergency repair works,” he said.
He added that as of April 2025, a total of 103 emergency repair projects worth RM167.52 million have been approved.
“This is a significant increase from the 75 projects reported during the last DUN sitting.
“Of the total, 54 projects have been completed, 18 are under construction, and 31 are at the pre-contract stage,” he said.
To further support urgent repairs, the Sarawak Government has continued to fund projects under the Minor Emergency Work Assistance Fund (MEWAF).
