UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA OF SARAWAK

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES

UW6313002 - POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT STUDIES

SSP2053 - PUBLIC POLICY

PROF. MADYA STANLEY BYE KADIM KIAI

NAME NO. MATRIK

AARON MUTANG YAHYA 73899

MUHD. ARIFF SALLEH 77613

MOHD ISKANDAR IBRAHIM 75731

MOHAMMAD EZAM BIN MOHAMMAD ALI 75690

 Samarahan district was first known as Muara Tuang which is a small district under the

administration of Kuching District before Samarahan was upgraded as a full district in 1983.

The main communication of the residents in Muara Tuang area at that time was by using the

Batang Samarahan river route. After being upgraded to a full district in 1983, it was renamed

from Muara Tuang Sub-District to a new name, Samarahan District, which includes Asajaya

Sub-District, and the town of Samarahan was renamed Kota Samarahan. Since then,

Samarahan has begun to make strides towards development with the construction of various

facilities such as roads with the inclusion of all public facilities such as electricity supply,

water supply, health clinics and public telephones as well as the erection of government

buildings to accommodate various government agencies in the district. To improve the Kota

Samarahan district, policy initiatives have been implemented. Initiative is the beginning of

something, in the hope that it will continue. In addition, Policy Initiatives are action plans

adopted or carried out by individuals, governments, parties, businesses and more. For

example, the government is the most implementing initiative of all time. Several initiatives in

the Kota Samarahan district have been implemented by the government as initiatives to

improve the lives of the people, solve serious problems of quality of life, social exclusion and

resource availability. Among the policy initiatives implemented by the government in Kota

Samarahan are such as road improvements, construction of bridges, drainage system

improvements and traffic lights.

Firstly, the improvement of roads is one of the measures implemented by the district

administration. According to the 2010 census, almost 246,782 road users will benefit from

this initiative. There are five main types of problems that can be detected on this road: roads

that are frequently potholed, stagnant water, steep or undulating roads, cavities between roads

and bridges, and damaged roads. Potholes are the most common type of problem. In recent

years, road conditions have deteriorated as a result of the resumption of various projects that
had been halted because of the PKP. The road connecting Kota Samarahan and Asajaya is the

only alternative available, and it is heavily trafficked by large lorries which exacerbates the

deteriorating road conditions.This scenario is most likely caused by the fundamental structure

of the building, which engineers and construction consultants have paid insufficient attention

to in their designs. Furthermore, because the construction site for this highway is located in

the Paya bakau area, a variety of factors must be considered, without sacrificing the

importance of aspects such as safety, quality, and the cost of the project being built.

Traveling between locations has become easier as a result of road improvements. The

route that connects all these places means all these locations can be reached without

difficulty. As before, the distance between two points is the same, but the time required will

be much longer than it should be. This is due to potholed, and undulating road conditions

which have increased travel time. When compared to traveling on difficult roads, road users

may save time by using these improvements. Highway improvements will benefit the public

and other road users. The evolution of technology in highway construction also shows the

progress achieved by the country in the field of road communication. These improvements

can also help reduce the number of road accidents that occur as a result of poor road

conditions. Users can also go through it safely and without fear. As a result, the current

highway infrastructure needs to be continuously improved in order to improve user safety and

the country's image in the eyes of the international community.

Next policy initiatives that have been implemented in Kota Samarahan is bridge

building. For decades, the people of Samarahan, especially those living in Asajaya and up to

Sadong Jaya, have shown patience by focusing only on the use of ferries as opposed to the

use of very time consuming roads if they want to cross the Samarahan Trunk (KKR, 2015).

When the festive seasons such as Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year, and Gawai arrive,
the situation gets worse. Throughout the day, they will be stuck in long and tiring traffic jams.

Due to the use of small, narrow and isolated roads, many locals have switched to other modes

of transportation, such as ferries. When the residents of Kota Samarahan are waiting their

turn to use the boat, they will face this every day, and sometimes even every year. What is for

sure, everything got better with the completion of the Batang Samarahan bridge building at

the end of 2018, which put an end to all misery. The Batang Samarahan Bridge which will

connect Kampung Baru and Kampung Tambey in Samarahan is being built at a cost of

RM93.88 million and is expected to be completed in 2018.

The construction of the bridge will benefit at least 240,000 surrounding residents. The

construction of the bridge downstream of Batang Samarahan will complement the lines of

nearby coastal roads that connect Kota Samarahan and Asajaya. What is certain is that the

construction of this bridge has made it easier for the people around it. Shortening the distance

and saving time is one of the benefits of the construction of this bridge. However, the

construction of this bridge is also a source of income for the residents there. This can be

evidenced by the construction of the market at the end of the bridge. This is one of the district

government's initiatives to increase the people's income so that the people get out of poverty.

Among the items sold are agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables. In addition,

there are wise fishermen who take advantage when selling their catch, which mostly consists

of local fish such as catfish, sembilang, shrimp and others. Not to be missed are the traders

who promote traditional food and handicrafts from their respective races in addition to

increasing income. In addition to facilitating road users, the local government is also wise to

increase the people's income.

Next policy initiatives that have been implemented is the upgrading of the existing

drainage system in Samarahan. The Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS) has been
allocated about RM20 million to upgrade 17 kilometers of waterways in Samarahan in stages

under the 12th Malaysia Plan (Nuraini, 2020). The floods that often occur in residential areas

in Kg Bukit Berangan and Samarindah Samarahan are due to several factors. Such factors

include heavy rainfall, increased urbanization, inadequate drainage systems such as ditches,

road ditches, drains or major sewers and rivers. Therefore, to reduce the flood problem in the

area, Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) has included a proposed flood mitigation

work on the Kuching-Samarahan Highway and at SK Muara Tuang, Samarahan under the

Sungai Sarawak Integrated River Basin Development Project (PLSB) which is expected to be

completed in 2025 with an estimated cost of RM191 million. In the meantime, the DID and

MPKS will continue to be committed in carrying out river and water canal cleaning work in

Sitigan River, Kg Bukit Berangan to prevent floods in residential areas.

This project to upgrade the drainage system will bring many positive effects to the

people of Samarahan and the environment. The main positive effect of this drainage system

upgrade project is to create Samarahan as a clean city and has a systematic drainage system.

This initiative is part of the solution to overcome the flood problem in Samarahan. The

adverse effects of irregular waters can be reduced such as floods that often occur in areas

with too narrow drainage systems. It is also a long -term measure by the government to

overcome the flood problem in Kota Samarahan including Kampung Bukit Berangan and

Samarindah Samarahan area and other villages. The benefits of upgrading the drainage

system can also prevent things such as clogging and stagnant water. When this drainage

system is upgraded, the problem of water flow from residential areas and buildings in urban

areas will generally not be disturbed such as clogging and stagnant water to disturb the peace

of residents and local communities in Samarahan. The fact is, if the drainage system is not

maintained and managed properly, the breeding of disease-carrying animals will quickly

multiply. Regular drainage management is very necessary to prevent the animals from
making the drainage area as the main habitat. Therefore, the project to upgrade the drainage

system in this district will have a positive impact because one of the main habitats for disease

-carrying animals such as Aedes mosquitoes, rats, cockroaches and flies can be destroyed

while reducing the risk of dangerous diseases such as Dengue, Malaria and others.

Lastly, the improvement with five roundabouts was upgraded to a traffic light project

by the district administration at the Jalan Expressway-Kuching. According to Minister for

Infrastructure and Port Development Datuk Julaihii Narawi the project for the improvement

will cost around RM47 million and take 15 months to finish. For years, commuters in the

Kota Samarahan-Kuching area have been plagued by traffic congestion on their route to and

from work. As a result, clear and tangible steps are taken to address the issues that plague

road users. Another motorway connecting Samarahan and Petra Jaya will be built for this

purpose. Five roundabouts will be upgraded to become smart traffic light systems to relieve

traffic congestion between Kota Samarahan-Kuching and vice versa. Due to the existence of

the smart traffic signal system, the traffic problems experienced by persons travelling to

Samarahan can be lessened. Samarahan is currently developing rapidly and is one of the

places with high potential for generating Sarawak's economy. It is hoped that by

implementing the project, more possibilities will be available to the people in the future. The

ministry is now planning and designing various alternate routes around the route as part of a

long-term effort to alleviate traffic congestion. Building roads and earthworks, constructing

new pavement structures, repairing old pavements, and implementing the SMART smart

signal system are all part of the project to improve the five roundabouts.

By upgrading the five roundabouts along the Samarahan-Kuching Expressway, travel

from Samarahan to Kuching city will be better and more comfortable. Short- and long-term
plans for the Kuching and Samarahan areas are now being executed with the goal of boosting

Kuching and economic Samarahan's development and, as a result, improving the economy of

the people in the area. Traffic light construction works at five roundabouts in Kota

Samarahan were really importants. This project is critical in addressing traffic congestion in

Kota Samarahan, particularly during peak hours. In addition, the government updated and

improved the severe traffic congestion on Jalan Mohd Musa between Batu 9, Kuching-Serian,

and the Kota Samarahan roundabout near Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) and

National Institute of Public Administration (INTAN). The safety of our roadways, as well as

the smooth flow of traffic, are critical. As a result, traffic control signals are required to help

organise the flow of traffic on the highways. There is a need for traffic management centres

that assist in obtaining the essential information in any situation in order to have structured,

well-functioning traffic management. Traffic signals have become a requirement in recent

years, which is understandable given their importance in our daily lives. Traffic control

signals are increasingly being employed on construction or industrial sites where there is

regular traffic movement, in addition to ensuring road harmony.

In conclusion, each initiative that has been implemented is aimed at solving the main

problems of the people in the Samarahan area whether in terms of logistics, infrastructure or

services. In becoming a developed and sustainable city, all these problems must be addressed

immediately because it is a problem that can hinder the development of an area. With the

upgrading of the main roads, every resident in Samarahan in particular can move comfortably

and quickly because these main roads connect several major cities such as Kuching, Sibu and

others. In addition, the addition of traffic lights can also help traffic and reduce traffic jams.

Furthermore, upgrading the drainage system in large cities such as Kota Samarahan can also

help the problem of flash floods that often occur in large and rapidly developing cities.

Problems such as breeding of dengue mosquitoes and other pests can also be overcome with a
more systematic drainage maintenance system. To facilitate travel between one sub-district to

another sub-district, the construction of bridges is very important especially in Sarawak in

general and Samaraha in particular is very helpful to the people in the field of logistics. All

these initiatives are very important because the main purpose they are implemented is to

bring the community towards a better life and harmony as well as help provide the best

special services for each resident in Samarahan itself.

References:

https://samarahan.sarawak.gov.my/samarahando/page-0-108-80-Profil-Bahagian-Samaraha
n.html

https://www.facebook.com/1098564713495861/posts/1230998870252444/

https://www.kkr.gov.my/ms/node/34256

https://suarasarawak.my/2020/11/rm20-juta-untuk-menaik-taraf-saluran-air-di-kota-samaraha
n/