GOOD WATER: Billy (left), (behind from left) Nogeh, Salang, Hasbi, and Irwan drink water from the filtration system with pupils of SK Nanga Meluan.
LEARNING: Salang (right) listens to an explanation on the system.
JULAU: SK Nanga Meluan can now enjoy uninterrupted clean water supply with the newly completed iM Sarawak water filtration system.
Julau MP Datuk Joseph Salang Gandum, who is also the chairman of 1Malaysia Sarawak Advisory Council (1MSAC), officiated at the newly completed project yesterday.
At the press conference, he said the filtration system is a community-based project which cost about RM130,000, and was built by teachers and the local community on a ‘gotong-royong’ basis.
He said the project, identified by 1MSAC under the iM Sarawak programme, was carried out by Yayasan Rakyat 1Malaysia (YR1M) and Yayasan 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) in partnership with the state Department of Minerals and Geoscience.
“This is a community-based project, where people themselves have to be involved.
“We know that we do not have the manpower, we do not have the expertise in various fields, so we engage other partners to be part of our journey to reach out to the people,” he pointed out, adding that the project is an alternative way to supply clean water to the school.
He said the 1MSAC was mooted by the prime minister last year to bring development to the rural communities.
To date, he said 28 iM Sarawak projects are in the final stages of completion, which will benefit more than 30,000 people.
“The cost for the 28 projects is about RM9 million, but this year we had spent about RM4 million already for these projects,” he said.
Areas covered, he said, are Limbang, Julau, Sibu, Miri, Mas Gading, Santubong, Lundu and Kuching as well as in interior areas such as Lusong Laku and Long Urun in Belaga, Long San in Marudi and Long Semadoh in Lawas.
On a separate matter, he said a micro hydro dam had been built in Nanga Bekatan, Julau, which would be launched this Friday.
On 1MSAC, he said its members include Limbang MP Hasbi Habibollah, Mas Gading MP Nogeh Gumbek, former Hulu Rajang MP Datuk Billy Abit Joo and Irwan Zulkarnain Muhammad Hasbie.
Going back to the water filtration system, he said the community must be willing to own the project or else it could not be implemented.
“For example, after we installed the water treatment plant here in SK Nanga Meluan, do not expect that people from Geoscience to monitor and service the filtration system.
“They (community) must learn and accept the project, take it upon themselves to look after and maintain the system; the same thing with the micro hydro dam facility,” he said.
He pointed out that 1MSAC only provides funding and the ones implementing the project are the local people.
“At the most, we can only give advice to them and compare their services with others, so that they can do better, otherwise the community-based project would fail,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, he disclosed that a rice planting project was being carried in Lusong Laku, whereby seedlings were provided to 133 Penan families by 1MSAC.
“The Penan are excited about the project, and eagerly awaiting the result,” he said.
On youths, Irwan said currently 1MSAC had done two entrepreneurship programmes in Sibu and Limbang.
He said the programmes involved about 40 youths who are in small businesses, whereby 1MSAC gave them training on business soft skills, marketing and management.