KUCHING: The Infrastructure Development Trust Fund (Dissolution) Bill, 2025 was approved after the third reading at the 19th Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) on Wednesday.

Speaker of the Sarawak Assembly, Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohamad Asfia Awang Nassar confirmed the approval after eight Assemblymen participated in the debate session.

Minister of Infrastructure and Port Development, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who tabled the Bill, explained that the Infrastructure Development Trust Fund established under the 1985 Ordinance has successfully fulfilled its original objectives and is now no longer relevant in the current development landscape.

“The main purpose of establishing this fund is to provide revolving funds from the State Consolidated Fund to finance the development of basic infrastructure such as roads, water supply and electricity in new development areas,” he said.

The fund is also intended to assist private developers in easing the burden of high initial costs for infrastructure development, thus accelerating the implementation of approved development projects.

Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah said, in today's economic environment, most private developers already have financial resilience and the ability to obtain project financing from financial institutions.

"In addition, the Sarawak Government has also strengthened its fiscal capacity and administered the budget in a more structured and strategic manner. This allows more allocations to be channeled directly for basic infrastructure development throughout the state," he added.

Therefore, the decision to dissolve the fund and repeal the Infrastructure Development Trust Fund Ordinance 1985 is a timely and appropriate step, in line with current needs.

He added that this bill also strengthens the existing framework through the Financial Procedure (Contingency and Trust Funds) Ordinance, 1963, thus ensuring more efficient management of funds and focusing on current priorities. -UKASnews