Road network enables farmers to conveniently transport produce
SIBU: The rural Chinese community in Bawang Assan constituency can now conveniently transport their produce for sale here, thanks to a network of over 2,000 roads.
Second Finance Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, who is Bawang Assan assemblyman, said most of the area’s residents are vegetable growers.
“Over 2,000 roads – big and small – have been built leading to households in the rural Chinese area. It is difficult if you just build the main road as they use motorcycles to send their vegetables to town. I pitied them and so I set aside enough funds to do it,” he told reporters after an appreciation ceremony at Yew Chai Toh Road in Engkilo yesterday.
Wong said in 1991, when he was elected assemblyman, there were cement roads for bicycles on the west bank and small boats acting as motorcycle ferries.
“Gradually, I started building roads, replacing the three- to four-foot cement roads with gravel motorable roads. And so, bit by bit, I tried to build gravel roads to every house because this is important to the area as vegetable growers need to send their produce to town,” he said.
“The number gradually multiplied as every household had a car to transport the vegetables to town. The whole town depends on this area for the supply of vegetables.”
Wong pointed out that Igan Bridge transformed the area.
“It has been toll-free from day one. And so now, the residents here, their expectations grew and they would like me to tar-seal not just the main roads, not just feeder roads, but all the roads leading to their houses. So, I thought, well do it once and for all, help them, and this is completed. They are happy today,” he added.