KUCHING, May 25 — A total of three long-term development plans have been laid out for Kapit Division.
According to a statement from the Deputy Chief Minister’s office yesterday, the overall development plan comprises the proposed Master Plan for Kapit town, the Bakun Lakefront Township and Island Resort Local Plan as well as the Master Plan for Belaga.
The plans were presented during a Zoom meeting, where Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing was briefed on the development plans by the consultants for the three development projects.
“The Master Plan for Kapit town proper will be more to a pedestrian town. Heavy vehicles will not be allowed to come to town. Parking buildings will be built within the periphery of the town centre.
“With road connectivity to Kapit town possible from Sibu now, there can be better access to tertiary education and skills development centres in Kapit. Since Kapit is rich in culture with unique lifestyle it is also hoped that this will open the town to cultural heritage sites to boost Sarawak’s tourism industry,” the statement said.
For Bakun, the statement said the proposed local development plan takes into consideration its infrastructure, culture and environmental impact as Bakun incorporates and maintains several cultural landscape and water heritage elements that shape a hierarchy of integrated cultural and environment attractions across the Bakun Lake.
Integrating these with its scenic tourism elements, it added, Bakun can be an attraction for tourists under the Culture, Adventure and Nature (CAN) concept, thus, sailing and water sports will be major activities on the lake.
“The Master Plan for Belaga town will address the issues of obsolete government buildings and the lack of public facilities. It also provides solution to poor road system and parking at the town centre while also solving the problem of shortage of affordable housing and recreational areas in Belaga town.
“This means the current road system needs to be upgraded and new and alternative routes constructed to ease the flow of traffic into the new extension upstream to the present Belaga town. It also incorporates the set-up of a centralised government office complex and recreational facilities,” it said.
Masing, who is also Minister of Infrastructure and Ports Development, said that he was very impressed with the briefing and the model of each master plan for Kapit Division.
“This is a long-term development plan that can span up to 30 years ahead and we hope to address the dire problem of connectivity and access in terms of infrastructure and telecommunication through these development plans,” the Baleh assemblyman added.
Also attending the Zoom meeting were federal Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi, Assistant Minister of Utilities Datuk Liwan Lagang, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) chairman Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong and Murum assemblyman Kennedy Chukpai Ugon.
Also present were Recoda chief executive officer Datu Ismawi Ismuni, Pelagus assemblyman Wilson Nyabong and Upper Rajang Development Agency (Urda) regional director Joseph Belayong. — Borneo Post
