Amcorp, Sarawak to invest RM1b in Sibujaya

AMCORP and the Sarawak Housing and Development Commission (SHDC) will invest RM1 billion in the re-development of the Sibujaya township located about 26 kilometres from Sibu.

Sarawak Housing Minister Datuk Seri Abang Johari Tun Openg, in announcing this today, said the re-development would give a new and futuristic look to the township, the biggest medium- and high-end housing project in the state.

This, Abang Johari said, was based on the re-development plan which won the Judges Merit Award in Community Development (Planning Achievement) this month.

Sibujaya was also the first project in East Malaysia to have won the prestigious award by the Malaysian Institute Of Planning, he said at a press conference at the SHDC office in Sibujaya.

According to him, the re-development will emulate that of the Mutiara Damansara township in Kuala Lumpur.

Abang Johari said the re-development plan was initiated as Sibujaya, which had been launched in 1995, could not sell some of the houses built.

“The plan was conceived some time ago when Amcorp was constructing all the commercial buildings and the SHDC handling the houses. Now we have formed a joint-venture company to handle development of the 283 hectares left idle,” he said.

“We are looking into building about 6,000 units of medium- and high-end houses as well as 400 units of commercial buildings. We had previously developed an area of 161 hectares with over 4,000 units of houses and 170 commercial buildings,” he added.

Abang Johari said a major attraction of the new plan was a 16-hectare green lung to double up as a sort of botanical garden where timber species and fruit trees such as durian and dabai (Sarawak black olive) would be planted.

Another feature of the Sibujaya township project was a covered walkway built along the fringes of the green lung and linking all houses to the commercial area and schools, he said.

A RM20 million police station was also being constructed at the township.

Abang Johari said the Sibujaya township population is projected to grow from 25,000 currently to about 100,000 in 10 years’ time following the re-development effort.

Property value in the township is also expected to increase by between 30 and 50 per cent, he said.

By Bernama