Stretches of the Ba Kelalan-Long Semadoh road have deteriorated to such an appalling state that there is no visible sign that there has ever been a proper road.
KUCHING: The Ba Kelalan-Long Semadoh road has deteriorated to such an appalling state that there is no visible sign that there has ever been a proper road.
According to Ba Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian, some parts of the road are now just muddy tracks, which even four-wheel drives have difficulty negotiating and get bogged down in the mud.
“Why does the government want to build the LRT (Light Railway Transit) when they can’t even provide proper roads for the people? Rural folks have the same rights and entitlements as urban folks to proper functioning basic facilities and roads are one such facility,” Baru said in a press statement yesterday.
Baru, who is state PKR chairman, recalled that at last month’s sitting of the State Legislative Assembly (DUN), the Minister for Infrastructure Development and Transportation Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing in reply to his question, told the august House that RM1 million had been approved for the Public Works Department (PWD) to carry out the maintenance and repair works.
Masing, according to Baru, also said that PWD will identify critical stretches along the road and carry out the repair works immediately.
To the disappointment of the people, Baru said until today, there has been no sign of any repair works on the road. He pointed out that for certain stretches, repair work will not suffice as the damage is so bad they have to be rebuilt.
“The photos attached will show exactly the quality of this ‘Jiwa Murni’ road built with the so-called ‘Probest’ technology.
A stretch of the Ba Kelalan-Long Semadoh road is now just a muddy track and even four-wheel drive vehicles get bogged in the mud.
In last year’s June DUN sitting, I pointed out the Auditor General’s Report 2016 that raised the poor quality of the roads: Quality of work was less satisfactory. Road shoulders and drains were not built… there were potholes, uneven and muddy road surfaces. Road maintenance was less satisfactory… besides faded road lines, there were untrimmed wild plants and grasses along road shoulders… safety of the roads built were ‘less satisfactory’ as they were steep and winding, with ‘no slope protection’.
“In last year’s June sitting of the DUN, the minister defended the Jiwa Murni projects, saying that the Jiwa Murni project roads were designed to lower specs and lower safety features, and to fit in with the required timeframe and limited amount of funds available. The Jiwa Murni roads cost an average of RM2 million per kilometre compared to RM5 million for a PWD R1 road.”
Given that the Jiwa Murni roads have not lasted very long, Baru said it would appear that the government was penny wise but pound foolish in the decision to allow the roads to be built in this manner by the Army.
“Once the roads were handed over, PWD is responsible for the maintenance but we are constantly being told that there are limited or no funds for repairs. This is what Minister (Dato Sri) Michael Manyin said in December 2015 in the DUN: ‘… there is no real allocation given to us from the Federal Government,” Baru said.