Sarawak must invest in transport to meet future needs, says Lee

MAJOR transport projects should not be dismissed solely because they cost billions of ringgit, as Sarawak must invest to meet future travel needs.

Minister of Transport Sarawak Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin said fiscal responsibility required strategic investments to be properly planned, economically justified and implemented with financial discipline.

“Prudent financial management does not mean stopping development,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech during the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here on today (Oct 19).

He said the Kuching Urban Transportation System (KUTS) was intended to support the city’s continued growth and give residents a viable alternative to private vehicles.

Planning for urban mobility, he added, must look beyond expanding road capacity and take into account the needs of future generations.

As context, Lee cited public transport initiatives in Penang and Johor, alongside Singapore’s established MRT network, as examples of efforts to meet urban travel demand.

He also said representatives from several states had visited Sarawak to learn about KUTS and were considering similar projects.

While welcoming constructive scrutiny of project costs and benefits, Lee said Sarawak’s long-term development aspirations should not be constrained by short-term political arguments.

He rejected double standards that celebrated infrastructure development elsewhere but questioned such progress in Sarawak.

“Let me make this absolutely clear: Sarawak deserves world-class infrastructure, Sarawak deserves international connectivity, and the people of Sarawak deserve the same opportunities for progress and prosperity as the people of Penang or any other state in Malaysia.

“We are not building merely for the next election. We are planning for the next generation,” he said.