Poor internet access common woe among longhouse chiefs
SIBU: Internet access is now widely regarded as a basic amenity like power and water supplies.
Its importance could not be overemphasised when the Home-based Teaching and Learning (PdPR) was introduced to connect students with school when Covid-19 was at its height.
The initiative was to ensure that school children were not left behind in their studies, after the spread of Covid-19 forced physical classes to be halted temporarily then.
However, for rural school children, connecting to the internet was certainly no walk in the park due to the weak connection.
In fact, Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) chief executive officer Datuk Dr Paul Selvaraj had been quoted as saying that without the internet, people’s access to many needs such as education is hampered.
In Dudong constituency, several longhouse chiefs interviewed by The Borneo Post have voiced concern over the weak and unstable internet access, more so considering that everyday life is now almost totally dependent on the internet.
According to Tuai Rumah Setia Api, school children in his 13-door longhouse at Jalan Ulu Sengan here were sometimes compelled to go up a hill for better reception during PdPR session.
“There is internet access at my longhouse but when the connection is weak, these children have to go up the hill located behind the longhouse for better reception to attend their PdPR. I think this is quite a hassle for them to attend the online class.
“As good and stable internet access is crucial to our children’s learning, it is our hope that the accessibility can be further improved. We already have both water and power supplies (to our longhouse).
“Therefore, we hope that the government can look into this request of providing better internet accessibility for the benefit of our children who need to study online, especially when Covid-19 is still around,” said the 63-year-old longhouse chief.
On another development, Setia hoped that there would be more assistance from the government in time to come to improve his longhouse.
Tuai Rumah Jackson Jelan echoed Setia’s view as children in his 27-door longhouse at Mile 15, Jalan Oya, too experienced weak internet connection.
Jackson, 56, recalled children in his longhouse encountered problem when attending their PdPR previously.
“It is our fervent hope that the government can look into providing better internet connectivity as internet is also regarded as an important need for rural folk like us these days for getting information and education,” he said.
That said, he also hoped that the access road to his longhouse will be tar-sealed in time to come for the convenience of the longhouse folk.
On the same note, Tuai Rumah Agatha Menchol, 63, hoped for better internet accessibility to her longhouse at Jalan Ulu Sengan.
“I was made to understand from our school children here it is quite difficult for them to attend PdPR due to weak internet connection.
“It is our hope that the government can improve the internet access to our longhouse as internet is now an important tool to acquire knowledge.
As for other developments, we are satisfied.
“In fact, during meetings among longhouse chiefs, there was no complaint about development. We are happy,” she said.
Among others, Agatha felt proud that her 13-door longhouse has produced many graduates.
She stressed on the importance of getting good education to improve the standard of living.
Tawas Jackson Sibat, 53, of 12door Rh Jackson Sibat at Sungai Assan, speaking on behalf of her father Tuai Rumah Jackson Sibat, said she was made to understand that the internet access was rather unstable.
“I was told by the school children in the longhouse that sometimes there is signal and they can access the internet for their online learning, while at times they were not able to do so. So, it is our hope that internet access can be improved for the benefit of the longhouse, in particular the school children,” she said.
Tawas also hoped that the concrete pathway leading to the longhouse will be widened so that they do not have to park their cars at the roadside.
Towards this end, the longhouse chiefs have only good words for Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) deputy chairman, Wong Ching Yong.
They hoped that Wong, who is Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) potential candidate for Dudong, will be nominated to contest in Dudong.
“We think that Mr Wong can do a lot for Dudong if he wins the election. Even now, in his capacity as SRDC deputy chairman, he had helped to improve the basic infrastructure such as access roads to longhouses, amenities, power and water supply as well as helping us to obtain the longhouse loan for improving our longhouses,” they said.
Meanwhile, Wong has pledged to improve Wireless Broadband Access (WBA) if given the chance to become their assemblyman.
“I will help to apply for WBA for 15 primary schools 10 Chinese-aided primary schools, two secondary schools and 206 longhouses in the constituency if given the chance to do so,” he said.
Wong said this after witnessing the installation of the first WBA at Rumah Mai Sigai in Tengah Assan by Sarawak Multimedia Authority recently.
He said the WBA in Rumah Mai Sigai was the first of its kind in the constituency.
“The installation is made possible with the help of Assistant Minister of Corporate Affairs and Ukas Datuk Abdullah Saidol after I wrote a letter to him in August 2021 highlighting the predicaments faced by students with no WiFi facilities to join online classes during the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added.