Dinil Jose
MIRI: A Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) member in Baram welcomed the decision of its president Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom to elect a new chairman for Nyabor branch, irrespective of where he came from.
Dinil Jose from Sungai Mallang, Bakong, Baram said the members from Marudi and Nyabor branch, in particular, fully supported Mawan and would rally behind him in any decision made on party matters.
“This much we can do to show our respect for the president and serve the party to the utmost,” he told The Borneo Post recently.
Dinil hoped Mawan would propose a new `wakil rakyat’ for the area who could work with the government and the people, especially in Bakong.
He said several villages in Bakong still needed attention from the government in terms of basic infrastructure such as good roads and amenities like electricity and piped water.
“We look forward to a new people’s elected representative who could serve us better, and help bring in more progress to our villages,” he added.
Dinil claimed that for the past 10 years, there was not much progress in several longhouses in Bakong.
He cited Buan and Sylvester Anam Kakok longhouses in Sungai Mallang Tengah and Sungai Mallang Atas as the prominent ones that lagged behind in basic infrastructure.
Sylvester Anam Kakok longhouse still faces hardship during the dry season as there is no piped water for the residents. They had to depend on rainwater for daily consumption and dirty river water for washing.
At night generators power the lights as there is no electricity supply either. Residents in Buan longhouse however enjoy the luxury of electricity and water.
According to Dinil, the electricity in this longhouse was supplied during the era of former Marudi assemblyman, the late Datuk Edward Jeli.
“He fought for it and asked the authority concerned to install the utility,” he recalled.
In this context, Dinil reiterated his hope that the new `wakil rakyat’ could work well with the government for the development of villages and longhouses in Bakong.