(From left) Lee and Abdul Aziz talking to Tudan Desaras Phase 6 residents during the dialogue session .
MIRI: Residents of Tudan Desaras Phase 6 resettlement area are advised to forward any enquries regarding their water and electricity applications to the right channels and avoid getting the wrong information from a third party.
Assistant Minister of Tourism, Art and Culture, Datuk Lee Kim Shin said if they are not careful, they will end up with wrong information or be taken advantage of by irresponsible people.
“Please do not simply listen to a third party. If you have enquiries you should get in touch directly with Laku Management or Sarawak Energy, or even my office.
“Other people might give you the wrong information. For example, someone said that it cost RM1,000 to install water but in actual fact, the cost is much lower,” he said.
Lee pointed out that forms or letters certified by any community leaders or government officers are free yet there are people approaching the residents, telling them they can get their letter or form signed for a fee.
“If someone tells you that you have to pay RM5 to get your letter signed or stamped, that is a lie because our community leaders, Resident’s Office and District Office do them for free,” he said.
Lee said this during a dialogue with residents of Tudan Desaras Phase 6 resettlement area yesterday.
The resettled folks were formerly squatters from Kampung Api-Api, Kampung Pasir, Kampung Merikan and Kampung Sealine.
The session was held to update residents on the status of their clean water supply application as well as issues related to facilities in their resettlement area.
Also present were Miri District Officer Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusuf as well as representatives of Laku Management and Sarawak Energy.
At the dialogue, Lee disclosed that a total of 312 applications for Laku have been processed and the residents involved will have clean water connected to their houses soon, as the construction of the main pipe has been completed in December.
The main water project was carried out by Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB) and was handed over to Laku upon completion, to be connected to the respective houses.
“There are a lot of you who have not submitted your application. Please get in touch with my office.
“Should you need your documents to be verified for the application, you can do so at the Community Leaders’ Office on Level 6 of the Islamic Complex, or you can also come over to SUPP Senadin office, because we can also get our Kapitans to verify them,” he said.
He added that his office would help arrange for payment by instalments if they could not afford to pay a lump sum as deposit.
Lee said apart from that, the electricity project will be implemented for folks there as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, a representative of Laku disclosed that the average connection fee for each house is RM600 plus, but should a pipe need to be laid across the road, there will be an additional fee imposed.