Ting (front row, eighth left) poses with the residents, who are showing their letters of agreement.
MIRI: A total of 266 families in Tudan Desaras Phase 6 resettlement area can now heave a huge sigh of relief after knowing that their application to pay water connection fees via instalment has been approved.
They are among 374 families from three squatters villages in the area – Kampung Api-Api which has 231 families, Kampung Merikan 2 and 3 (71 families) and Kampung Pasir (72 families).
The 266 families have yet to have treated water supply because they cannot afford the connection cost, says Piasau assemblyman Datuk Sebastian Ting, adding that the other families are able to enjoy it because they have already paid for the connection by themselves.
“I met up with (officials from) the Northern Region Water Board (Laku) on the payment of water supply connection, meant to facilitate the residents.
“I was pleased to see that Laku personnel went down here to enable the applicants to sign their letters of undertaking for their new service connection installation fees,” said Ting when met after the signing of the agreement at Tudan Desaras Phase 6 yesterday.
Ting added that under the agreement, applicants would only have to pay a deposit of RM60, and the rest to be paid monthly – the connection cost would depend on the location of the applicant’s house.
He said the pipes had been laid but not connected to the applicants’ houses because they had not paid for the connection cost.
He said applicants could expect to get clean supply of water soon after the signing of the agreement.
“I am grateful to Laku for taking the initiative to help the people here.”
In addition to the water supply, Ting said he would help to get electricity supply to the area and improve the drainage at the resettlement.
Meanwhile, Laku Miri executive engineer Rex Chua said two officers were deployed to help residents who were not able to come to Laku office with their applications.
He also said two other officers were sent to manage the installation of pipes to the houses.
“Installation works will be implemented within five days after the payment,” he added.