A SARAWAK lawmaker has questioned Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s March 7 announcement that damage to the 578km of the Jiwa Murni and logging roads in the state’s interior would be repaired by Christmas, the DayakDaily reported.

Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau said it is making him uneasy as he doubted the roads would be completed before the end of the year.

Jiwa Murni roads are former logging roads that have been upgraded and tarred by army engineers.

The low-quality roads have been damaged by logging trucks.

Ngau told the portal that Zahid’s statement was also “too generic” and it could be giving false hope to the people he represents deep in Baram.

He said Zahid, who is also the rural and regional development minister, did not specify which logging roads would be upgraded by Christmas.

There is at least 1,000km of logging road, he said.

Ngau said when a general statement like that is made, “people in my constituency will wait (for it)”.

“It will not happen. That’s why I say it gives them false hope,” he was quoted as saying.

Ngau said assemblymen like him would be put in a spot as they would be the one facing endless questions when things did not happen.

Zahid made the announcement after chairing the Rural and Regional Development Ministry’s coordination meeting with the Sarawak government in Kuching.

He said priority would be given to roads that are no longer used by heavy vehicles.

He said “it has to be done before Christmas” to avoid the year-end monsoon. – March 29, 2023.