The Batang Lupar No. 1 Bridge with the ferry service seen in the foreground. – Photo by Roystein Emmor
KUCHING (May 26): It is irresponsible and misleading for certain parties and social media platforms to wrongly attribute the Batang Lupar Bridge achievement to the present federal government, said Gerald Empaling.
The Sarawak Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Chamber (DUBS) Sri Aman deputy chairman said development achievements belonging to Sarawak must be acknowledged truthfully and fairly.
“The rakyat deserve facts, not political propaganda. We therefore urge the public to remain vigilant against false narratives and to continue supporting responsible information sharing based on truth and historical facts,” he said in a statement today.
Empaling voiced support for Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) secretary-general Datuk Sebastian Ting, who on Monday condemned a Facebook page for allegedly spreading false information and causing confusion after wrongly crediting the Batang Lupar Bridge project to the federal government.
According to Empaling, the people of Sarawak are well aware that the Batang Lupar Bridge was ultimately made possible through the determination, commitment, and financial responsibility of the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS)-led state government.
“This is a fact that cannot and should not be distorted for political purposes,” he added.
He pointed out the successful completion of the bridge symbolised Sarawak’s resolve, capability and commitment in safeguarding the development interests of the people, particularly those in Greater Sri Aman.
“It is not merely a bridge, but a testament to the leadership and vision of the GPS-led Sarawak government,” he said.
Empaling also noted that while the project was initially approved during the administration of former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, it is also a matter of public record that following the change of the federal government in 2018, the Pakatan Harapan administration moved aggressively to cancel several critical infrastructure projects in Sarawak, including the Batang Lupar Bridge project.
“Despite the cancellation by the federal government at the time, the Sarawak government refused to abandon the people, especially those in the coastal and rural areas who had long awaited better connectivity and economic opportunities.
“We are thankful that the GPS-led government, under Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, took decisive action to continue funding and implementing the project using Sarawak’s own resources,” said Empaling, who is also chairman of the Sri Aman Community Welfare and Health Committee.
On Monday, Ting slammed the Facebook page for wrongly crediting the Batang Lupar Bridge project to the federal governmen, saying social media platforms should act responsibly instead of spreading inaccurate content for political motives or online traffic.
The Batang Lupar No. 1 Bridge, linking Sebuyau and Maludam, was opened to traffic, on May 21.
It is the longest river-crossing bridge in Malaysia.
Spanning approximately 4.8 kilometres across the Batang Lupar, the new bridge forms part of Sarawak’s wider infrastructure transformation under the Coastal Road Network and Second Trunk Road Programme aimed at improving connectivity between coastal areas and major towns.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, when officiating the bridge soft opening, said the construction cost amounted to about RM848 million, financed entirely using Sarawak state funds.
The Batang Lupar Bridge 2 linking Sri Aman to Betong is currently under construction and nearing completion.
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