The sad story of 200 folks from three longhouses – Rumah Anchoi Abit, Rumah Melaka Gana and Rumah Samsudin Sumping – located three and half kilometers from Machan Bazaar, Kanowit, is very well highlighted by The Borneo Post page 6 dated 8 June 2009.
These longhouses are accessible by boat through the Kanowit River which is their main source of water for sanitation and washing purposes. Most of the longhouse folks cast off their junk into the river as they have nowhere else to dispose them.
“We have been waiting for so long for the government to bring clean water supply to our longhouses,” said Ringgit Injing to the paper.
Sometimes, he said, they would go to Machan with big buckets to ask their relatives for clean water.
The folks of Rumah Samsudin Sumping claimed that in 1996 officers from the Kuching Water Board went to take samples of the water in Sungai Kanowit to determine its quality.
Said Ringgit: “They said that within six months after taking the samples, clean water supply would be possible, but until today, after 13 years, we have yet to see it.”
He said that every time there were events or festive occasions like gawai, the folks would walk to the nearby river bank to get water for washing and to go to Machan to get their drinking water from shop house owners or relatives residing in the area.
According to a villager, Mad Injing, 68, they have been doing this for last 50 years. “We asked through our YBs to provide piped water to our longhouses, but somehow our request went unanswered. Our YBs had sent hundreds of letters requesting for clean piped water from the authorities with no response.”
“How many more Malaysia plans (MP) would we have to go through before piped water can be channeled to these longhouses?” the people asked.
Yes how many more elections the people of the three longhouses have to vote for the Barisan Nasional candidates/YBs?
Being BN strong supporters, you know that you have been cheated; you know that they have broken their promises? But why are you continuing to elect your YBs, and in directly, elect the State government?
When will you, the people of the three longhouses, ever learn?
Even the newly elected YB for Batang Ai Malcolm Mussen Lamoh has started to worry that the BN State government may not fulfill its by-election promises.
These longhouses are accessible by boat through the Kanowit River which is their main source of water for sanitation and washing purposes. Most of the longhouse folks cast off their junk into the river as they have nowhere else to dispose them.
“We have been waiting for so long for the government to bring clean water supply to our longhouses,” said Ringgit Injing to the paper.
Sometimes, he said, they would go to Machan with big buckets to ask their relatives for clean water.
The folks of Rumah Samsudin Sumping claimed that in 1996 officers from the Kuching Water Board went to take samples of the water in Sungai Kanowit to determine its quality.
Said Ringgit: “They said that within six months after taking the samples, clean water supply would be possible, but until today, after 13 years, we have yet to see it.”
He said that every time there were events or festive occasions like gawai, the folks would walk to the nearby river bank to get water for washing and to go to Machan to get their drinking water from shop house owners or relatives residing in the area.
According to a villager, Mad Injing, 68, they have been doing this for last 50 years. “We asked through our YBs to provide piped water to our longhouses, but somehow our request went unanswered. Our YBs had sent hundreds of letters requesting for clean piped water from the authorities with no response.”
“How many more Malaysia plans (MP) would we have to go through before piped water can be channeled to these longhouses?” the people asked.
Yes how many more elections the people of the three longhouses have to vote for the Barisan Nasional candidates/YBs?
Being BN strong supporters, you know that you have been cheated; you know that they have broken their promises? But why are you continuing to elect your YBs, and in directly, elect the State government?
When will you, the people of the three longhouses, ever learn?
Even the newly elected YB for Batang Ai Malcolm Mussen Lamoh has started to worry that the BN State government may not fulfill its by-election promises.
According to The Borneo Post page 6 dated 9 June, Mussen said: “As the newly-elected representative in the area, it is my fervent hope that all the projects promised during the election be implemented as quickly as possible as a gesture of saying thank you to the voters.”
He said the projects totaling more than RM70 million would definitely give a great impact to the people in the area.
Why Mussen is getting worried is because the state election is around the corner. It may be held any time between year-end to mid-2011. So if the BN fails to deliver its promises between now and 2011, it may affect his chances in the State election.
But will they also ever learn after being cheated election after election? – The Broken Shield
Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com
He said the projects totaling more than RM70 million would definitely give a great impact to the people in the area.
Why Mussen is getting worried is because the state election is around the corner. It may be held any time between year-end to mid-2011. So if the BN fails to deliver its promises between now and 2011, it may affect his chances in the State election.
But will they also ever learn after being cheated election after election? – The Broken Shield
Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com
