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Note: Tu aje update ari Sarawak ke interesting agi kena Oct 14

Sarawak plans to build a railway link

KUCHING: Sarawak plans to build a railway link between Similajau and Tanjung Manis by 2030 to facilitate the transportation of goods in the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).

Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said the railway project would be studied in conjunction with the development of the Similajau Port in Bintulu division.

"I think it will go to Igan (in central Sarawak) first. Beyond that, it depends on the development of the corridor," he told reporters after opening a parliamentary discourse on government yesterday.
He added that if the proposed halal hub and deep-sea fishing in Tanjung Manis, in Mukah division, went according to plan in the next seven or eight years, the extension of the railway would become more feasible.

"That’s our ambition to see before the year 2030 a rail link between Similajau and Tanjung Manis that will cut the time of transportation in the whole of the SCORE area," he said.

The 320km-long corridor in Sarawak’s central region was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in February and will tap into the state’s vast energy resources.

Earlier Taib said, in his speech, that Sarawak had the potential to develop 20,000MW of hydroelectricity and 8,000MW of power from coal-fired stations in SCORE.

"This will give us the ability to attract projects that consume a lot of energy, such as aluminium smelting, iron and steel, and glass manufacturing," he said. He also said the state would not focus on energy-intensive industries alone but would also develop the agriculture sector, particularly fishing and aquaculture.

In addition, he said SCORE would generate employment opportunities for the state, including 30,000 managerial positions and 70,000 technical and professional jobs.
"We will have to increase our educational institutions and skills-training centres in the next 10 to 15 years to meet this employment need," he added.

source: The Star