MUKAH, Sept 8 — Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Openg today asked the public to be patient and not to expect immediate results when he announced the approval of mega projects such as bridges and roads, in his visits to rural areas.

He said the approval does not mean that the projects will be immediately constructed as matters have to be planned and the cost to be estimated.

“When I approved, it meant the projects will be constructed, though they may not be immediate,” he said at the ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the RM600 million Batang Muara Lassa Bridge here.

The construction of the bridge was announced during his visit to Mukah in 2017.

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He said he is aware of remarks made by certain people, questioning whether the signboards erected at project sites are just for show.

The chief minister said the construction of the coastal road network and the second trunk road, totalling RM11 billion, are among the mega projects that he had announced after becoming the chief minister in 2017.

He said these two road networks, which are under construction, will be completed within five to six years.

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The coastal road network will link Kuching with Samarahan, Betong, Mukah, Sarikei, Sibu, Bintulu and Miri.

Abang Johari said these two road networks will open up vast rural areas for agriculture and economic development, which will benefit villages, longhouses and rural towns.

On the 2.45km-long Batang Muara Lassa Bridge, he said it will link Daro with Pulau Bruit.

He said Pulau Bruit will be connected to Tanjung Manis once the RM300 million Batang Paloh Bridge, now under construction, is completed.

He said he can foresee that the Rajang river basin will have bright future, in terms of agriculture and economic development once two bridges are completed.

Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing, who is also the Minister of Infrastructure and Ports Development, said these two bridges are among those that the state goverment will build along the coastal road network and the second trunk network.

He said the other bridges include Batang Lupar, Batang Krian, Batang Saribas and Batang Rambungan.

Masing said these projects were supposed to be either jointly constructed by the state and federal government or by the federal government alone.

He said the new Pakatan Harapan federal goverrnment decided not to proceed with the construction of the bridges which were approved by the previous Barisan Basional government.

He said the state goverment, however, decided to go ahead with the construction of the projects because of the immense benefit they will provide to the people.