Relocating it to opposite Sungai Jelalong urgent as many lives at stake with floods eroding its foundation
The wooden hostel building of SK Kuala Kebulu.
BINTULU: The proposed plan to relocate SK Kuala Kebulu in Tubau must be treated with utmost urgency not only because the school is prone to flooding but also because its hostel is on the verge of collapse.
The school is located by the bank of Sungai Jelalong, a tributary of Batang Kemena, and nearby residents favour its proposed new site, which is opposite the river.
When the BAT6 team visited the school – some two hours from Bintulu town – yesterday, they noticed the wooden beams supporting the hostel were already slightly slanted.
Longhouse chief Derick Gani from Ulu Kebulu said the school could be flooded up to three times annually, and it was flood waters that were slowly bringing the hostel to its knees.
“There were times when pupils had to be sent home because flood water breached the dangerous level.” Murum assemblyman Chukpai Kennedy Ugon said the school’s relocation had been pencilled in the Malaysia Plan.
“Although the relocation plan has been approved, work needs to start as soon as possible as the school is now in dire straits,” he said. “We don’t want to wait until the condition worsens further.”
SK Kuala Kebulu has about 50 pupils from 12 longhouses in the Sungai Jelalong area. All of them are boarders. They use water pumped from the river for shower while water for consumption comes from a reverse osmosis (RO) plant.
This timber road links the school from Bakun-Tubau road.
The proposed new site of SK Kuala Kebulu is located near Rumah Aying, across Sungai Jelalong.
Derick Gani
Aying Mulap
The school, which has 24 staff, has 24-hour electricity supply from a diesel-powered generator.
Another longhouse chief, Aying Mulap, said the school served pupils from seven Iban, four Penan and one Punan longhouses.
“If the school is to be relocated to the new site just across the river, it will be more convenient for most of the residents nearby.
“We also hope there will be a new road linking four longhouses in Ulu Kebulu to the primary school,” he said.
Aying estimated that the distance from Ulu Kebulu to the new site was about 6km.
Meanwhile, Chukpai wanted the two roads on both sides of Batang Kemena leading to the school to be upgraded.
Both roads are timber tracks that cut through plantations.
“Without these timber roads, there would be no road linking the school. They would still be using the river as their mode of transportation.
“We are looking into on how to improve the road to the school and nearby longhouses,” he added.