BINTULU, Nov 23 — The redevelopment of Jepak, which is located on the other side of the city, can help curb land and house prices from soaring in this division, said Chief Minister Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg today.
He said that Bintulu was an industrial city with various sectors operating here, thus attracting thousands of people who came to migrate to the area.
“If the price of the houses reaches millions of ringgit, who can afford them? So I plan to open this area for the sake of the people.
“I have instructed the Sarawak Land and Survey Department to provide 7,000 lots of land in this area, and affordable housing will be developed in phases,” he said at the launch of the Bintulu Urban Redevelopment Project here.
Commenting further, Abang Johari said that to continue the development project in Jepak, he proposed that the name be changed to Jepak Jaya.
“If in Kuching we have Petra Jaya, I hope with the new name it will emulate the development that has been implemented in Petra Jaya,” he said.
Abang Johari said that the new area would be equipped with an administrative centre, office buildings, resident office as well as houses and shop lots.
The urban redevelopment project on the 59-hectare site involves a total of 596 units of houses that will be constructed, with medium size land measuring between 10 and 12 points per lot.
The estimated demand for housing in Bintulu, (the entire Kemena, Kidurong and Samalaju areas) in 2020 and 2021 is around 13,500 units, and this year only 5,338 units have been or are being built.
In line with the Bintulu Central Business District Study conducted in 2006, the state government plans to relocate four villages, namely Kampung Sinong, Kampung Masjid, Kampung Dato and Kampung Sebiew to a redevelopment site in Jepak.
He added that this move is in line with the construction of the Muara Kemena Bridge which is in full swing and is expected to be completed in 2023, which will benefit all the residents of Kampung Jepak in particular, and the residents of Bintulu in general. — Bernama
