Dennis (left) and Murum assemblyman Kennedy Chukpai Ugon exiting the assembly building after the fifth day of the current sitting.
KUCHING: Dennis Ngau (BN-Telang Usan) proposed that Public Works Department reactivate the road maintenance unit.
The unit should be equipped with necessary machines so that it can respond fast and timely to road-linked problems faced by the people, he told the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) yesterday when debating on the Yang di-Pertua Negeri’s address.
He suggested that the Rural Transformation Programme allocation totalling RM15 million for Mulu and Marudi assemblymen and himself to be used to set up and manage the unit if the government did not have the necessary funds.
“The sum can also be used to finance the setting up of quarry stock,” he added.
He estimated that it would take RM3 billion to build concrete roads and bridges linking 80 longhouses in Telang Usan.
“When we talk about building good road connectivity in Telang Usan and Mulu constituencies in Ulu Baram, indeed the cost becomes a huge factor. The geographical nature and scattered locality of longhouses all over the places contribute to the huge cost,” he said, while calling for understanding from people throughout the length and breadth of Ulu Baram.
Dennis said his constituents did not expect the roads to be tar-sealed within the next five years or so because they would also be fine with gravel roads for a start.
In view of the huge amount of stones needed for upgrading and repairing works for more than 1,000 kilometres of rural roads, the government should set up a quarry in Baram, he suggested.
“How ironic, there (in Peninsular Malaysia) the government begged the people to use multi-billion roads while we in the rural Sarawak are begging for the Malaysian government to build us roads to connect to our longhouses. But until today (there is) nothing much to talk about,” he said.