I am glad to know that Sarawak is now exploring the feasibility of using electric trains for public transport in the southern part of the state. For now, Sarawak is the only state in Malaysia without a railway system. The idea of building a railway system to complement our existing road network had been raised by Wong Ho Leng a few times before – in 1997, March 1998 and in November 2000. And a motion was made by Wong Kee Woan during the last Dewan Sitting in November 2016 to propose the building of a railway system to link the major towns in Sarawak.
I am in support of the railway system but not just for southern part of Sarawak. Instead, it should be used as a principal means of transport linking the southern, northern and central zones in Sarawak. It can provide a healthy competition for air transport too. We all know that airfares linking in Sibu to other major towns is always one of the most expensive. If we can get a railway system linking Sibu to Kuching, to Miri, to Bintulu, it can provide the cheapest mode of transport in the region.
A railway system is particularly needed in our state as it is a big state and it can link up the rural and the urban centres. Sarawak has still got a broad hinterland which is not very developed yet. A railway system can open up this interior Sarawak, thereby improving the quality of life by alleviating poverty in the rural areas. Factories, industry, tourists spots may be set up along both side of the system. The agricultural sector will also receive a boost through improved communication. And this can also create employment opportunities.
However, for the construction of the railway system, I urge the state government to push the Federal Government for the funding of this project. This should be a federal project as it is listed in the Federal List under the 9th Schedule of the Constitution. Sarawak has already contributed so much to the development of the country as a whole, in terms of the oil and gas royalty. We have lost out so much and up until now, Sarawak is still one of the poorest states in the country despite our rich resources. It is the only state still without a railway station to link its vast area. It is time that our state government flex our muscles to demand for what is due to our people.