JAMES Masing today told former works minister Baru Bian that Sarawak was unhappy with the Pakatan Harapan government not because it had cancelled a host of major projects in the state funded by the former administration but it had failed to show integrity and honour promises.

It’s a matter of keeping a promise, the Sarawak deputy chief minister said in response to Baru’s recent explanation that he had scrapped an RM900 million allocation from the Barisan Nasional government for three bridges because he was “prioritising our limited allocation for infrastructure development in Sarawak”.

The three bridges over the Rambungan, Igan and Batang Lupar rivers are key infrastructure on the state’s 896km coastal road.

Sarawak was an opposition state governed by Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) when PH was in Putrajaya.

Masing, who is also Sarawak infrastructure development and transport minister, said the PH government should have showed that regardless of who was government, agreements would still be honoured.

“No foreign government or institution will make any deal with us if there is no continuity,” he said.

Baru defended the decision to cancel the funding saying the coastal road is a state project, not a federal one.

He said the RM900 million allocation was than diverted to the Sarawak-Sabah link road in the northern part of the state.

The road was originally planned to be constructed in two phases – from Lawas to Kampung Pa’ Berunut followed by the Kampung Pa’ Berunut to Long Lama stretch.

The 425km long road, when completed, would be the first land route connecting Sabah and Sarawak without having to go through Brunei.

“While I was the minister, and being one who comes from the interior of Sarawak, I had to prioritise the ‘last frontier’ which is the northern part of Sarawak that was sorely lacking in road connectivity,” Baru said.

“In view of the limited funds available at that time of economic downturn, our priorities had to be reassessed.

“Looking at the bigger picture of Bornean connections, the SSLR provides a crucial North Borneo highway link between Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei and North Kalimantan as part of the Trans Borneo Highway.

“This much needed link in the north would serve a greater territorial expanse and more people,” Baru said.

He added that with the proposed move of the Indonesian capital from Java to Kalimantan, a highway linking Sarawak and Sabah with Kalimantan would serve as a catalyst for economic growth and development.

That road project is now funded by the state.

Masing said the GPS government is continuing it with a “slightly different alignment” from what was proposed by the PH government.

He said the change was to cater for both rural and urban development.

“Broken promises by the PH government is nothing new. It’s their trademark.

“They over-promised and under-delivered. Luckily we only had 22 months of their administration.” – April 20, 2021.