PDP Youth backs Penguang on slow devt in Marudi

KUCHING: Progressive Democratic Party ( PDP) Youth is standing up for their Marudi assemblyman Datu Dr Penguang Manggil by telling former Marudi assemblyman Datuk Sylvester Entri Muran to bow out and take the back seat gracefully.

In a statement issued yesterday, the wing pointed out that Marudi, which is one of the oldest settlements in Sarawak, has not been experiencing development for two decades while other old settlements have been thriving and urbanised.

To prove its point, the Youth wing pointed to the ferry service that is still needed to connect the town and a 44km long ‘ruined road’ that takes four hours to drive through, showing the stark reality of stagnant growth in Marudi and its surrounding areas.

“The Regatta was ‘born’ in Marudi yet Marudi is one of the very few towns without proper waterfront.

“Marudi Airport Terminal is still like what it was many years ago. There has been no upgrading whatsoever until recently.

“Lapok town is not connected to the grid and there is no treated water supply,” said the wing.

The Youth wing was responding to The Borneo Post news report on Wednesday entitled ‘Entri: Developing Marudi fully requires a lot of time and money’.

Entri was reported to have said to fully develop a rural constituency such as Marudi requires a lot of time and money.

Claiming that Marudi had moved forward since he became its assemblyman in 1996, Entri said the comment made by Penguang was “unfair and seemed to question his credibility and integrity during his tenure as assemblyman”.