All money goes to Mukah

Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud has announced that works on the new Mukah Airport worth RM200 million are to start immediately. The money is part of the RM2 billion given by the federal government for various development projects under the nine Malaysia plan (9MP).

Sited between Mukah and Oya, the airport once completed is one that can be used by Boeing 737.

Taib was speaking at the earth-breaking ceremony for the new government complex at Service Road which is to be built adjacent to the Pehin Palace – Wisma Pehin Setia Raja which was built for hundreds of million ringgit.

The main office building which is going to be five-storey high and six-storey at the central part will house the district office, state government departments, Sesco office and the office of Regional Corridor Development Authority (RECODA). The government did not announce the costs of the office buildings, but I believe the costs must be tremendous.

But what about the coal-driven power station costing about RM800 million? And why using coal when we are building 12 dams to supply electricity? (There are plenty of coal deposits in Nanga Merit, Kapit. But who benefit?)

According to Taib, the government needs at least RM60 billion to develop Sarawak Corridor of Renewal Energy (SCORE). But the amount is small, he said, compared to the more than RM300 billion worth of foreign and private investments.

All the money given by the federal government goes to Mukah leaving none for other divisions such as Kapit which needs a trunk road very badly and urgently. Kapit people have been waiting for 45 years for the road to be constructed linking the town with other towns such as Song, Kanowit, Sibu, Sarikei and so on.

Don’t you think Kapit should also be given priority? - The Broken Shield