For Kapit Division, three long-term development strategies have been drawn out.

The overall development plan includes the planned Master Plan for Kapit town, the Bakun Lakefront Township and Island Resort Local Plan, as well as the Master Plan for Belaga, according to a statement from the Deputy Chief Minister's office yesterday.

The proposals were presented during a Zoom conference, when the consultants for the three development projects briefed Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing on their development plans.

“The Master Plan for Kapit town proper will be more to a pedestrian town. Heavy vehicles will not be allowed to come to town. Parking buildings will be built within the periphery of the town centre.

“With road connectivity to Kapit town possible from Sibu now, there can be better access to tertiary education and skills development centres in Kapit. Since Kapit is rich in culture with unique lifestyle it is also hoped that this will open the town to cultural heritage sites to boost Sarawak’s tourism industry,” the statement said.

The proposed local development plan for Bakun, according to the statement, takes into account its infrastructure, culture, and environmental impact, as Bakun incorporates and maintains several cultural landscape and water heritage elements that shape a hierarchy of integrated cultural and environmental attractions across Bakun Lake.

Bakun, when combined with its scenic tourism elements, can be a tourist attraction under the Culture, Adventure, and Nature (CAN) concept, with sailing and water sports being major activities on the lake.

“The Master Plan for Belaga town will address the issues of obsolete government buildings and the lack of public facilities. It also provides solution to poor road system and parking at the town centre while also solving the problem of shortage of affordable housing and recreational areas in Belaga town.

“This means the current road system needs to be upgraded and new and alternative routes constructed to ease the flow of traffic into the new extension upstream to the present Belaga town. It also incorporates the set-up of a centralised government office complex and recreational facilities,” it said.

Masing, who is also the Minister of Infrastructure and Ports Development, stated that he was very impressed with the briefing and model of each master plan for Kapit Division.

“This is a long-term development plan that might last up to 30 years,” the Baleh assemblyman stated. “Through these development plans, we seek to address the serious problem of connectivity and access in terms of infrastructure and telecommunication.”