KUCHING: Over 5,000 residents of villages located at Tanjung Embang across Muara Tebas will benefit from the proposed ferry service, which should connect the island with the mainland.

The villages, which include Kampung Tiang Api, Kampung Semilang and Kampung Tiang Api, are separated by Sarawak River from the mainland, and residents need to use boats to get to Kuching, which takes about 45 minutes.
According to Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, the villagers – the majority of whom are involved in agriculture – find it difficult to bring their harvested crops such as coconut, pumpkin and banana to the mainland.

“Come the monsoon season, it would be troublesome as it is not really safe to go across (river). Agricultural land in this area is fertile and they have some quality produce,” said Wan Junaidi, who is Santubong MP, after a meeting involving the Land and Survey Department, Drainage and Irrigation Department, Public Works Department and village chiefs to discuss the matter at Kuching District Office yesterday.

He added that residents of these villages had cars, which were brought in by barge and the villages were connected by roads.

“The issue now is to identify the spot for the ferry service terminal and we will send in the application for the ferry service within a month’s time,” he said.

The issue had been brought to Wan Junaidi since he was elected as MP for Santubong in 2004.

Pointing out that it was his wish for the federal government to approve the application, Wan Junaidi also said the Integrated Agricultural Development Area (IADA) of Samarahan is presently building a road connecting the three villages, which is 70 per cent completed.

On another matter, Wan Junaidi said the spat between Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz and state Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah should be settled in the spirit of Barisan Nasional (BN).

“I believe both sides have their reasons for their decision but at the same time, I believe the government has thoroughly studied the matter before imposing any decision, especially on tax,” he pointed out.