Impian Sarawak has very quickly achieved one of our key goals, which is to ensure that Barisan Nasional (BN) will not take the votes of rural Sarawakians for granted, and play its role as the government of the day to improve the simple and basic infrastructure desperately lacking in these areas.
The Impian Sarawak team had identified at the end of last year, a village Rumah Gerik Ak Tom near Betong, Sarawak which was living without access to piped water over the past 50 years. The biggest shame for the BN Government is the fact that the main water pipe for the area passes through 290 meters away from the long house. Despite the proximity, the Government has never bothered to connect water from the main pipe to the long house.
The Kg Gerik Ak Tom villagers had to either collect water from the main pipe when it leaks, or do their washing, bathing and cleaning at a nearby pond whose water is dark chocolate in colour.
The Impian team very quickly decided to adopt the village as one of our projects to be completed before Christmas and preparations were underway to recruit volunteers and purchase the necessary pipes for the water connection, costing less than RM10,000.
News of the impending commencement of the project by the Impian Sarawak team soon spread, and the Sarawak state government finally woke up from its slumber and instructed the Public Works Department (JKR) to carry out the piping works from the main pipe to the long house. Our team personally visited the local JKR office with the village chief to confirm that the project will actually be delivered and not become another of BN’s empty development promises.
Lo and behold, the pipes were connected and the local BN state assemblyman even provided an allocation to the village committee to make the final piping connections to the individual houses. The entire piping works exercise took only 5 days. Hence for the first Christmas, after more than a 50 year wait, Kg Gerik Ak Tom villagers now enjoy clean and treated water into their individual homes.
It is completely shameful that a critical and necessary project costing less than RM10,000 and taking less than 5 days to complete was only undertaken after the threat of Impian Sarawak upstaging the BN government.
The DAP will tick off the Kg Gerik Ak Tom water project as one of our successes, and will celebrate the achievement together with the local villagers. The DAP is also further motivated to identify and carry out even more such projects, and we very much welcome a response from the BN government to complete each of these projects before our Impian team is able to execute them.
The Impian Sarawak team has identified the following projects to be launched in the first quarter of this year throughout the state:
- Ulu Wak in Pakan, Julau
- Kedup, Serian
- Sungai Arang in Marudi, Baram
- Rantau kurra, Medamit in Batu Danau, Limbang
- Repok in Sarikei
- Kampung Kiding and Kampung Kakas in Tarat, Mambong
- Location: Sungai Rasau in Bawang Assan, Sibu
- Batu Niah in Kidurong, Bintulu
- Salim Pelalang in Dudong, Lanang
Project: The current gravity water feed system is failing as a result of draught and decaying pipes. The Impian Sarawak team will install a new gravity water feed system to ensure consistent water supply to the village.
Project: The Impian Sarawak team will install a new gravity water feed system to ensure consistent water supply to the village.
Project: Requested for water tank as other longhouses received theirs from the government but this longhouse did not get any. Rainfall is about 2-3 times a week, there are currently surviving by rainwater collection. For those who can afford it have gotten their own tanks while for the rest they are just using random water buckets to collect rain water.
Project: Currently the village is “sharing” water source at very low pressure from the local school, SK Kuala Medalam. The Impian Sarawak team will install a new gravity water feed system to ensure consistent water supply to the village.
Project: Dilapidated state of the long house, wood is rotting away and can give way anytime. The Impian Sarawak team will work with the villagers to improve and upgrade the long house to a more livable condition.
Project: Upgrading and improving road access to the sick, dead and school-going children
Project: All 9 houses along the riverbank has government built jetty except for RH Pasang. They built makeshift jetties which are in deplorable condition. The Impian Sarawak team will help construct and upgrade a new jetty for the village which relies on the river entirely for its travelling and livelihood.
Project: The longhouse needs proper drainage and improve the access to the village. The Impian Sarawak team will assist with the infrastructure upgrading works.
Project: Wooden Bridge has been in existence for past 30 years without any repair. Bridge for about 30 primary school and kindergarten students to access their school. Local adults use it to go to their farmland. The Impian Sarawak team will assist in upgrading the wooden bridge to ensure safe and secure access for the villagers.
These projects have been identified and we would very much welcome the BN Government and elected representatives to carry out these projects before the Impian Sarawak team could commence our efforts. In fact, the Impian team will be very happy to scout, visit and identify critical projects on behalf of the BN government completely free of charge, to ensure that these villagers will be able to receive their basic human right entitlements, and an upgrade to their living standards.
At the same time, we would like to welcome more volunteers to assist with these projects. Those interested should email: [email protected]. For those who would like to assist, but are unable to volunteer, you may donate financially to “DAP Malaysia” at Maybank Account: 5141 7814 5866.