KUCHING, Nov 21 — It is possible for Kota Samarahan to be elevated to city status by 2050, said Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS) chairman Datuk Peter Minos.
“At current rate of how projects are popping up in Kota Samarahan, I am not surprised that by 2050 or earlier, it will be a city when it has a population of 500,000 from near 300,000 now,” he said today.
Minos said many had asked him why Kota Samarahan was chosen for many projects by both the public and private sectors, including the soon-to-completed Unimas Hospital and Sarawak Infectious Disease Centre (SIDC), and the upcoming Sarawak Cancer Centre and Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) projects.
“I answered it was all because of its strategic location, being a gateway to other parts of Sarawak from Kuching.
“With space and available land, it is easier for both public and private sectors to plan their projects. There is no need to ‘squeeze’ for spaces,” he said.
He added that the two universities in Kota Samarahan, namely Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) and UiTM Sarawak Campus are also attracting people to live there.
“I believe the government wants to make Kota Samarahan well catered for, to make it comfortable and easy for the people.
“This I am sure is the reason for spending millions to sort out the massive traffic jams and implement the Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) project,” he said. — Borneo Post Online
