‘Where’s the RM68m road?’

Villagers in Serian are turning to Sarawak DAP for help over a RM68 million promised road project and a rotting bridge that is endangering lives.

KUCHING: Five days before last April’s Sarawak election, machinaries and equipment for a Barisan Nasional-promised road project arrived in Serian only to leave immediately after the polls and never to return.

Now angry hardcore supporters of BN from four villages in Serian are turning to DAP to highlight the non-fulfillment of a government promise.

According to them, state Minister for Infrastructure Development and Communications Michael Manyin had promised a RM68 million road project for the area.

The 15km road project was supposed to link the four villages of Kpg Rayang, Kpg Munggu Kopi, Kpg Tanah Putih and Kpg Sebamban in the Serian district.

Manyin had allegedly made this promise just before the state election in April and had even participated in the “earth-breaking” ceremony on April 11, 2011, just five days before polling.

He told the community that the government had approved the project and it would be completed within 24 months.

“Now almost a year has lapsed, the machinaries and equipment have not returned and the construction has not started, ” said Serian DAP chairman Edward Andrew Luak.

He said the villagers were deeply disappointment with the BN government, particularly with the minister over the non-fulfillment of the project.

“Manying had angered the people of the four villages, who felt that they were given a false promise.

“Now the villagers of Kpg Tanah Putih and Kpg Sebamban would have to continue to depend on river transport. Manyin simply lied to his own voters in order to win their support for the election.

“How could he do that? He knew there was no money, yet he dared to lie,” he said, pointing out that Manyin was not only an elected representative, but also considered to be a “supreme” leader of the Bidayuh community.

Rotting bridge

Luak said that the people came to see him to seek his assistance to help highlight their plight and anger.

He also said complaints regarding the dilapidated narrow bridge and the “rotting” pedestrian bridge over a stream near Chung Hua School, 321/2 mile, along the old Kuching/Serian Road have been brought to his attention.

He said both sides of the bridge have given way and is dangerous to vehicles, while the pedestrian wooden bridge at the side of the main bridge is rotting and shaky.

“The concern of the people was highlighted during the campaign period of the last election. Piling work was initiated soon after the complaints were made, but till today they serve no purpose,” he said.

He added that several complainants were made and highlighted in the media, but they were ignored by the authorities.

He said that these were serious complaints as they involved the safety of road users and pedestrians, most of whom are students.