The Sarikei Division is experiencing significant economic and infrastructural advancement, driven by a series of high-impact development projects.
Central to this progress is the recently opened Tun Datuk Patinggi Tuanku Haji Bujang Bridge, a 1.4-kilometre structure across the Batang Rajang River.
With a cost of RM321 million, the bridge significantly enhances connectivity and is anticipated to have substantial positive effects on the socio-economic development of the local population.
Datuk Seri Huang Chang Sik, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability and the Member of Parliament for Sarikei, highlighted the bridge as a symbol of the state government’s dedication to rural progress.
He expressed gratitude to the state leadership for fulfilling a long-standing community need, noting that the project was a personal priority since his election.
Looking forward, the government has outlined additional major initiatives for the area. These include comprehensive upgrades to rural road networks and longhouse accommodations, improved drainage systems to mitigate flooding, and a phased riverfront development project overseen by the Rajang Delta Development Authority (RADDA). This waterfront initiative is planned to become a future hub for tourism and community activities.
These efforts are aligned with the state’s Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030, which aims to reduce the development gap between urban and rural areas and ensure all Sarawakians share in economic prosperity.
Huang urged continued public support for the state government to maintain the political stability necessary to see these long-term plans to fruition, envisioning Sarikei’s transformation into a major economic center for the central region.