Kuching: A Parliamentary written reply shows that federal allocations originally earmarked for three major bridge projects in Sarawak were redirected to another infrastructure project rather than being cancelled, according to Sim Kiat Leng, Special Assistant to Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen.
Sim was responding to a recent statement by Sibu MP Oscar Ling Chai Yew, who cited a Parliamentary reply stating that allocations linked to the Batang Lupar Bridge, Batang Igan Bridge, and Batang Rambungan Bridge projects were redirected to the Sarawak-Sabah Link Road Phase 1 (SSLR1) project.
He said the official reply showed that the allocations remained in Sarawak, contrary to claims by some Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) leaders that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government had cancelled development funds for the state.
Sim said the clarification was significant because it came from Works Minister Dato’ Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi, a GPS representative in the Federal Cabinet, through an official written Parliamentary reply.
According to the Ministry of Works’ reply, the Batang Lupar, Batang Igan, and Batang Rambungan bridge projects were originally included under the Federal development plan. However, following a reassessment in 2019, the projects were replaced with the SSLR1 project because the bridges formed part of Sarawak’s Coastal Road Network and were classified as state roads (Jalan Negeri).
“The most important point is that the Parliamentary reply clearly confirms that the allocations did not leave Sarawak and were not redirected to Peninsular Malaysia. Instead, the funds were channelled into the SSLR1 project to build a strategic road network linking Sarawak and Sabah without having to pass through Brunei,” Sim said.
He said GPS leaders, particularly those from SUPP, had for years maintained that the PH administration cancelled the bridge projects and deprived Sarawak of development opportunities.
However, he said the Parliamentary reply showed that the funds neither disappeared nor were diverted elsewhere, but remained in Sarawak and were utilised for another major infrastructure project.
Sim said DAP has never denied the Sarawak Government’s efforts in continuing the implementation of the Coastal Road projects and related bridges, and acknowledged their contribution to the state’s development.
However, he said this did not justify claims that federal allocations redirected to another Sarawak infrastructure project had been “taken away” or “cancelled” by the PH government.
He said if GPS leaders disagreed with the explanation provided in the Parliamentary reply, they should seek clarification from their own minister.
If they accepted the minister’s explanation, he said they should stop repeating political narratives that had been contradicted by official records.
Sim added that Sarawakians today are mature enough to distinguish facts from political rhetoric. What matters most is not who claims credit, but who ensures projects are implemented, roads are built, and development reaches the people.
“Rather than continuously revisiting political arguments from seven or eight years ago, all parties should focus on monitoring ongoing projects and ensuring that major infrastructure developments, whether the Coastal Road Network or the Sarawak-Sabah Link Road, are completed on schedule for the benefit of the people of Sarawak,” he said.
