Water supply to longhouses cut off, claims Chiew

RESIDENTS of longhouses along Bintulu-Miri Road are deprived of clean water supply due to the construction of Pan Borneo Highway.

According to Tanjong Batu assemblyman Chiew Chiu Sing, the longhouse folk are suffering because clean water supply is so difficult in view of the construction works on Mile 17 of the said road.

“The people there have told me that the water pressure is so weak that they have to wait till early morning, like 1am or 2am to wait for the water to come in. And they claim that the water is very murky,” he said in debating the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak’s address yesterday.

Chiew told the august House that such problem has persisted for quite some time.

He thus called for immediate action from the authorities, pointing out: “We cannot allow people to suffer like this because of some small hiccups by whoever is responsible.”

He also touched on a section at Mile 20 leading to the Bakun Road junction.

“A big pipe has been laid on the side of the old Bintulu-Miri Road and some longhouses have been connected with water meters,” he said.

He said the longhouse folk there had to pay RM400 for the connection.

Chiew said the water supply issue must be resolved to save people from suffering, especially in light of the current dry season.

“When it does not rain for weeks, we can imagine how difficult it is to be without water. Cleaning and washing become a problem, let alone taking a shower,” he added.