BETONG, Aug 1 (Bernama) -- The Sarawak Government has drawn up a comprehensive development plan for the Rajang Area Security Command (RASCOM) site in Sibu, which was recently handed over by the federal government under the implementation of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).
Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the 3,655.60-hectare site, comprising Nanga Tada, Nanga Jagau, Nanga Ngungun and Nanga Sekuau, will be developed for housing, infrastructure and agricultural activities.
"We intend to develop the area because many of the longhouses there are overcrowded and infrastructure remains inadequate.
"We have already constructed new roads to support development in the area and are also looking at its potential for agricultural development," he told reporters after officiating the Sarawak (Betong Zone) Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Special Convention today.
Abang Johari said the land development programme, involving allocation of RM1.5 million, will be coordinated by the relevant ministries and agencies, including the Mid-Rajang Regional Development Agency (MIRRDA), based on the state's local development plan.
Recently, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah and Sarawak) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud was reported as saying that the federal government had agreed to transfer 3,655 hectares of strategic federal land to the Sarawak Government under the implementation of MA63.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) also announced yesterday that the Cabinet had approved the transfer of ownership.
According to the ministry, a total of 64 parcels of federally owned land have been approved for transfer to the Sarawak Government since 2023.
Abang Johari said the handover followed the state government's request for federal land that was no longer in use or had remained undeveloped to be returned to Sarawak.
"We made the request, reached an agreement with the Federal Government, and the land has now officially been handed over to us," he said.
-- BERNAMA