KUCHING: Diabetic Suhaili Nangud, 37, has to fork out RM10 a day on diesel for a generator to light up his house from 7pm to 12am.
OLD MACHINE: Suhaili shows his old generator, which costs RM300 a month to run.
His expenditure on diesel alone is a taxing RM300 per month.
“I am already very poor and sick. How long can I go on living like this?” complained Sulaili to The Borneo Post at his Kampung Beradau, Siburan home yesterday.
Widow Adele Rikam, 46, is another villager who is struggling.
The village may be just some 30km from Kuching, but she is forced to raise her five children without proper water and electricity supply.
“During the rainy season, we will collect water from rain. But during dry spells, we have to buy clean water from Siburan, as our alternative water supply from the well is not fit for human consumption. We normally use it for washing and bathing,” said Adele.
These are the hard facts of life for the 438 residents of the Bidayuh village, which is a mere 4.5km from Siburan town.
Kampung Beradau village chief Meka Rabat, 64, said the village was established in the early 1960s. The villagers were originally from Kampung Sentah, on the peak of the Sentah hills near Siburan town.
“We decided to settle down here because the soil is fertile. And as far as I know, the others also decided to settle here because of the same reason,” said Meka.
He said they first applied for electricity supply from the government when he was appointed village chief 13 years ago.
“We have been following up on the matter with the relevant authorities, but until today we are still made to wait.
“So too with water supply. We have been applying for it for a long time now.”
Meka said, like Adele, most of the villagers still depend on rainwater for cooking and drinking.
“As for washing and bathing, we depend on the wells and ponds. We can’t use the stream nearby as it is polluted by a pig farm not far upstream,” he said.
Meka stressed they have not given up hope that the government will provide them with the basic amenities they required.
“After all we are all for Barisan Nasional (BN) all this while. We are all for development. So there is no way we will go for the opposition even if we are denied all the basic necessities,” he said, adding the BN representative for the area only visited the village once in 2006. The villagers also have no proper place to meet as construction on the community hall is still incomplete.
“A contractor just built it last year and left it uncompleted. We have no details of the project,” he said.
The 8km village road, he said, also needs immediate attention from the authorities. Villagers have also identified suitable sites for a place of worship and graveyard.
“But these two, we can wait awhile. The most urgent things we need now are electricity and water as our people have been crying out for them for far too long,” stressed Meka.
Kampung Beradau village security and development (JKKK) member Peter Sapui also appealed to the government for help.
“Our only hope is in the government,” he said.
Peter said the village has good potential for agri-culture, as the soil is fertile and flat.
“Crops such as rice, oil palm and vegetables thrive here. So this village could well be an agriculture hub in future once it is properly planned and developed,” he added.