SARIKEI (April 10): Senator Roderick Wong has called on the government to redesign the Pan Borneo Highway route in Jakar town to further support economic activity and development of the community in the area.

He recommended the building of an overpass or flyover at the intersection to Jakar town.

“This modification (the building of an overpass or flyover) will offer convenience to the locals while enabling traffic those coming from Jalan Merudu/ Meruton and Bayong to visit Jakar town,” he said while debating the Pan Borneo Highway issue in the first meeting, second session of the 15th Parliament.

At the same time, he suggested upgrading the town to a proper Rest and Relaxation spot (R&R) as the government will save costs in doing so, rather than building a new R&R.

He said there are existing kopitiams, a petrol station and a supermarket at the town which can serve as an R&R spot.

The town is also a gastronomy tourism destination with its famous prawn noodles and ‘shumai’, he added.

He stressed that while the construction of the Pan Borneo Highway is a high-impact development project that benefits the people of Sabah and Sarawak – however, some villages and towns are affected by the construction of the highway.

Wong said Sarikei and Jakar town – while being part of the highway route – will be marginalised by the way the route is designed, with the inclusion of the P-Turn about 5km away from the town.

“Vehicles are only able to access the town via one road, while vehicles from the opposite route will have to make a ‘P-Turn’ which is quite the distance before entering the town,” he added.

“I am concerned that the economic activities in the town will be affected should road users and the public no longer stop by at the town,” he said, adding that the fate of the traders in the town very much depends on the changes that can be made to the highway route.

Apart from that, Wong said this would also affect employment opportunities especially for the youths living in the area and might lead to migration out of the town.

“If these young talents are to become entrepreneurs for example in the tourism sector, then the government should provide the infrastructure and ecosystem to support the implementation to generate more economic activities especially in underdeveloped areas,” he added.

He said the government must not blame the youths should they choose to migrate to highly populated cities, as economic activities and job opportunities are still centred in big cities.

A report from the Ministry of Public Works in March 2023 stated that the construction works of Pan Borneo Highway is at 91.1 per cent completion; however, there are some areas that require better design process.