View of a haphazard scenario at Bakun HEP Lake landing site, which PBB Belaga Youth hopes the government would rectify by building a jetty soon, among others.
KUCHING: Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Belaga Youth is appealing to the government to urgently build a proper landing jetty at the Bakun HEP Lake, petrol stations in Bakun and Sg Asap and Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) station in Belaga.
According to Belaga PBB Youth chief Henry Kilah Talek, besides the landing jetty at the Bakun HEP Lake, there are a host of other issues and facilities that need to be addressed urgently. Among the issues they highlighted are: shortage of farming land at Sg Asap as currently each household is given only three acres and shortage of commercial shophouses at the Bakun Resettlement Scheme (BRS) Asap Bazaar for locals to participate.
“This situation is worsened with the influx of foreigners who are also doing retail businesses at the BRS Asap Bazaar as well,” Henry told thesundaypost here yesterday.
He added that the landing jetty at Bakun HEP Lake in recent times has become a popular trading place for the locals.
“It urgently needs basic facilities such as a wet market and cold storage facilities, petrol station and even a proper jetty,” said Henry.
He added that there was also an urgent need for a petrol station at Sg Asap and along the Bakun Road as the two existing temporary petrol stations at Asap almost always run out of petrol and diesel.
Henry also appealed for the government to build a Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) station to cover a large area of Tubau, Asap, Murum and Belaga area.
Meanwhile, Belaga PBB Youth also thanked the government, especially Public Utilities Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan for his initiative in solving the water problems at Sungai Asap BRS, which was inherent since they moved there in 1998.
“We are hopeful that the ministry concerned would continue to do research and find better ways to overcome the current water problems. And we, the people from Sungai Murum, Belaga, Sungai Asap and Tubau areas, have been strong supporters of the government all these years. Thus, we are very hopeful that the government could do more to help us,” said Henry.
Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of Culture and Heritage Liwan Lagang, who is also Belaga assemblyman, said he had been highlighting these issues at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting on several occasions.
“Their request is very valid and I hope that the federal government would assist us by providing basic necessities such as a Bomba station in Belaga and Sungai Asap BRS. In fact, the earlier the better as at least 100 doors have been gutted by fire in Belaga in recent years,” he disclosed.
As for other facilities such as shophouses and farming land for BRS settlers, Liwan also hoped that Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem’s promise to bring more development to the rural areas would come to fruition soon, especially for the people of Belaga.
“I hope his promise to develop the rural areas would materialise soon; otherwise we (the local leaders) could be seen as only giving false hope to our people,” stressed Liwan.