‘Still no power for longhouse that’s only 100m from main road’
SIBU: Rumah Jackson Sibat, which is located 100 metres from the main road in the Dudong area, is still not connected to the electricity grid.
Sarawak United People’s Party ( SUPP) Dudong deputy chairman Wong Ching Yong said he was disappointed to discover this during a visit on Saturday (June 3).
“Rumah Jackson Sibat is situated about 100 metres from the main road.
“To our surprise, there is still no supply of electricity to it,” he posted on his social media page.
Wong said the residents do not know why their longhouse is among the few in Dudong left out by Syarikat Sesco Berhad (Sesco).
“They said Sesco told them the cost to supply electricity is around RM1 million.
“Unbelievable! The longhouse is only 100 metres from the main road. RM1 million sounds ludicrous,” he complained.
He pointed out that the longhouse also lacked proper building materials.
“The longhouse chief as usual received us warmly to a sitting room which only has zinc sheets for the roof, while the ‘wall’ is made of plastic materials. It is scorching hot sitting in the room,” he said.
According to Wong, when he visited longhouses with former Dudong assemblyman Datuk Dr Soon Choon Teck in the 1990s, basic amenities such as roads, water and electricity supply were lacking in the area.
“Quite often we had to use sampans and go on foot. Even if there were roads, they were muddy roads where travelling from one longhouse to another easily took an hour,” he said.
“But after working for nearly 20 years, almost all longhouses are connected by tar- sealed roads, enjoying electricity supply and tap water.”
Wong added that he would work with fellow party member Kelvin Kong on resolving the issue.
Both Wong and Kong are said to be potential candidates for the next parliamentary election.