'Houses, tar road and bridge' - villagers will vote for party that helps

KIMANIS POLLS | On Christmas eve, Maimunah Musa and her husband Inchus Sulaiman waited anxiously for the water level of a river located behind their house to subside.

They were trapped in their own house for three days as the surrounding areas were covered with floodwater.

"My house structure is supported by (more than 10) dilapidated wooden pillars underneath. The pillars are not made of strong wood," said Maimunah (above), a 46-year-old homemaker.

"We are surrounded by hills and whenever there is rain, water will flush down and our place is like a catchment area when the water level at the river rises.

"We were worried that the water would wash away our house," Maimunah told Malaysiakini when met at her house in Kampung Sinoko, which is part of the Kimanis parliamentary constituency.

During the incident, she was trapped with her husband, daughter and four grandchildren.

Even during dry days, Maimunah would constantly check the structure of her house and the pillars to ensure that they are not sinking.

"The house will shake if we do not walk gently. I often have to remind the children not to run," she said.

Inchus, a 60-year-old farmer, urged the Sabah government to provide them with a new low-cost house under the Housing Programme For The Hardcore Poor (PPRT).

"Whoever (Warisan or BN) helps us, we will vote for them," said the couple, who are voters in Kimanis.

Their concerns were shared by Bernard Benwie, a 50-year-old farmer operating six acres of family land.

"My house is located on a hillside where cars and motorcycles can't reach. I have to cross four rivers to arrive at the main road in Jalan Bambangan in Sinuka. During rainy seasons, the bridge is covered with water. Often, I had to swim across the river to the other side," he said.

"While there is no crocodile in Sabah river, still, there are pythons. Several days before Christmas last year, I was also trapped on the hilltop for three days."

Need building materials to build a house

Bernard, who is also an Umno member, said he would vote for whichever political party that is willing to supply him with building materials so he can replace his substandard wooden house with a new structure.

"I can build the house myself," he added.

Bernard said he heard that Sabah BN/Umno previously used to supply the poor families with wood and zinc to build houses.

Meanwhile, Lucia Yacobus, 50, an Umno worker who is entrusted by the party to be stationed at the Sinuka polling station, urged the government to build a tar road that will connect the main road to the houses in five villages - Kampung Sinoko, Kampung Sindok, Kampung Pusak, Kampung Poring and Kampung Meranggang.

Sinuka is one of the 19 polling districts in Kimanis. It comprises 83.82 percent of non-Muslim bumiputera and 11.95 percent Muslim bumiputera.

It is about 30km from Kimanis town and 90km away from the state capital, Kota Kinabalu.

"We have 681 voters in this polling station. We live in this area for generations and we do not have a tar road linked to our houses," she Lucia.

According to her, the government had promised to build a tar road but never fulfilled it.

Lucia said she joined a political party hoping that the government would help her.

She also wants a PPRT house and a bridge near her house.

"We are still hopeful," said Lucia, adding that she will vote for Warisan if the party helps her and her kampung.

She recalled how the villagers were trapped for two weeks when the area and the main road linked to the surrounding township were flooded.

Luckily, no one died, Lucia added.  - Mkini