JBALB to address water issues, rep assured
I came to DUN without my shower. Bau? (Does it smell?)... what to do.
KUCHING: A government backbencher yesterday said that he had to attend the State Legislative Assembly ( DUN) sitting without taking his shower due to water supply issue in Bau.
Dato Henry Harry Jinep ( PDPTasik Biru) said the water supply problem is affecting not just his constituency but the whole Bau district.
“I came to DUN without my shower. ‘ Bau’? ( Does it smell?)... what to do,” he said when putting forward a supplementary question to Assistant Minister of Water Supply Datuk Liwan Lagang.
He requested for the latest status on the RM20 million allocation that had recently been pledged by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg to address water supply problem in Bau.
When responding to Henry’s query, Liwan first hailed Henry as a passionate elected representative who took the water supply issue in Tasik Baru seriously.
“People of Bau are very fortunate to have member of Tasik Biru who is very passionate in dealing with the water supply issue,” said Liwan, who is Belaga assemblyman.
The assistant minister even said in jest that Henry would even contact him on the issue when he was having some intimate moments with his wife.
“Well, Belaga has a dam, forests and water but we also have water supply problem,” he said, adding that the ministry is looking into the matter seriously.
When it concerned issues happening in Bau, Liwan said Minister of Utilities Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom would not be able to sleep well since Dr Rundi’s wife comes from Bau.
He was quick to point out that the state Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) will be hosting a workshop on July 19 to address various issues.
He said the department would be in touch with Henry to invite the latter to the forthcoming workshop, a platform where the Tasik Biru leader could bring up the matter for solution.
“JBALB will discuss how to use the RM20 million allocation during the workshop. JBALB will call you ( Henry),” assured Liwan.
He added that the previous federal government had not been giving Sarawak enough allocation all these years to address the water supply problem across Sarawak.
Earlier, Liwan said an allocation of RM120 million for the rural water supply projects in Tasik Biru and Tanjong Batu, which were pledged by the previous federal government, are currently under pre- contract stage.
He said these projects are being justified and reprioritised for the approval of Economic Planning Unit ( EPU) based on a circular dated June 29 from the federal Ministry of Finance ( MoF).
Dato Henry Harry Jinep, PDP-Tasik Biru