Abang Jo looks to a green Norwegian touch for Kapit

PETALING JAYA: The town of Kapit in Sarawak could be transformed into a green township inspired by the Norwegian city of Bergen, says state premier Abang Johari Openg.

He said he conceived the idea after visiting Bergen and observing similarities between the city and Kapit.

Abang Johari said a Norwegian professor had since been invited to review Kapit’s local plan, for developing the town into a green township modelled on Bergen’s approach to sustainable urban development.

“We will review Kapit’s local plan so that it becomes an environmentally sustainable town, similar to what they have in Norway,” the Borneo Post reported him as saying in Kapit today.

Abang Johari said the proposed transformation would see the construction of a bridge linking Kapit town to the opposite bank of Sungai Rajang before further development is carried out.

He said the state government would support funding for riverside infrastructure as part of the long-term development plan, which would include smart traffic lights, upgraded urban infrastructure and a proposed three-star hotel under a revised local development plan.

“We are blessed with abundant natural resources, and we must plan our towns in a way that balances development with environmental sustainability,” he said.