Connecting villages with accessible roads Willie’s priority
KUCHING: Puncak Borneo member of parliament Willie Mongin disclosed that connecting the last miles to link villages in his constituency will be his first priority after he is sworn in as an MP.
He said there are five more villages located in the last miles of upper Padawan, which need to be connected with proper standard roads.
For now the villages – Kampung Sapit, Kampung Kiding, Kamung Muk Ayun, Kampung Sting and Kampung Nyegol - were only accessible either by using motorcycles or on foot, he said.
Willie said although roads are being built to Kampung Sapit and Kampung Kiding by the present government, the standard and quality of the road is not up to the mark.
“What I will do after my swearing-in is to write to the state Public Works Department (JKR) to ask for the status of the two roads and the estimate cost in efforts to improve them and follow the proper standard roads that can be used by all types of vehicles.
“After that, I will seek allocation from the relevant ministries in the Pakatan Harapan-led federal government for the roads,” he said.
Willie said he would also be writing to the federal government to carry out feasibility studies on the accessible roads to Kampung Muk Ayun, Kampung Sting and Kampung Nyegol, the new resettlement area created by the villagers from Kampung Taba Sait and Pain Bojong who had refused to move to Bengoh Resettlement Scheme ( BRS).
He said road connectivity is of paramount importance to every rural village to increase agro production and income, which would eventually help to eradicate rural poverty.
Willie said his second priority is to solve the problem of unemployment among the youths in the area.
He said professional consultants would be engaged to motivate youths in Puncak Borneo to pursue both academic and skill-training qualification.
“Consultants will also be engaged to specially prepare youths to attend job interviews, both in the public and private sectors.
“So my first and second priority are to try to uplift the living standard of the people and later introduce other plans and make other changes as the needs arise,” he said.
In the recent 14th general election, Willie succeeded in his second attempt to wrest Puncak Borneo seat after defeating Barisan Nasional ( BN) candidate from PBB, Jeanoth Sinel and STAR candidate Buln Ribos in a three- cornered fight with a majority of 4,005 votes.
He made his first parliamentary election debut in 2013 but lost to Dato Sri Dr James Dawos Mamit.
Although he is in the government of the day at the federal level, he remained humble asking the public not to address him as ‘Yang Berhormat ( YB)’
“Just call me ‘ Bro’ or ‘Willie’,” he said.
Willie said after his victory in the May 9 polls, he has been going around meeting the voters in the area to thank them for their support.