By Boniface Willy Tumek,
PKR Mas Gading branch chairman
About 15 families
living in Sri’an area in Kampung
Barieng, Singgai are becoming increasingly frustrated with a suspension bridge
over Sungai Adis and another two wooden
bridges in their village.
These three bridges are part of the access to their homes
in Sri’an.
Last Sunday, some
of the affected villagers staged a peaceful gathering at the site of the wooden
bridge to show their displeasure and to demand that the relevant government
authorities take immediate actions to build new and safer bridges for them.
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| Boniface (third from right) with the villagers protesting over the old bridge over Sungai Adis in Singgai |
The suspension bridge, about 50 ft above the bed of Sungai Adis is secured by steel cables tied to
branches of trees growing on the bank of the river and suffers from excessive
swaying.
The villagers vividly remember watching in horror as a
funeral party struggled with a casket containing the body of a deceased
villager over the wildly swinging bridge in March 2013.
On another occasion these villagers had to struggle while
carrying a critically sick villager using makeshift stretcher over the same
bridge.
The condition of this suspension bridge has since
worsened considerably. To make matters worse for these villagers the two wooden
bridges, both measuring about 24 ft by 5 feet is in such dilapidated condition
that the villagers fear that collapse is imminent.
The failure of the government to build better and safer
bridges for these villagers has caused them much hardship.
All their material needs, from groceries to building
materials had to be carried by hand and on their shoulders over these three
bridges and they are now asking why the government is neglecting them.
They point to Kampung Apar, a neighbouring village where
two bridges were constructed across Sungai Adis sometimes ago to enable the villagers to
reach their farm land on the other side of the river.
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| Another bridge that needs to be replaced |
The bridges have it possible for the villagers to develop
their land on the other side of Sungai Adis and for REDEEMS to site their
bamboo park in that area. There is even a big homestay facility there now.
The villagers of Kampung Barieng in particular those
living in the Sri’an area wants the government to accord them similar
treatment.
They point to an abundance of opportunities in Sri’an
which thus far cannot be realised because of the absence of suitable access.
They said that they have given unfailing support to
Barisan Nasional for over at least 30 years and it is not right that they be
treated this way.
It is not just the
bridges that have frustrated them but also because they have been deprived of
treated pipe-in water supply that their fellow villagers on the other side of Sungai
Adis are enjoying. They cannot understand why they have been discriminated
against.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat Sarawak shares the concerns of the
villagers of Kampung Barieng and strongly urged the government to take
immediate and concrete steps to provide them with better and safer bridges,
starting with the two wooden bridges. - May 24, 2015
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