The demolished fence structure, which exposes church- goers to the danger below.
SERIAN: The relevant authorities are urged to consider replacing the fencing at St Theresa’s Church here, which was demolished by contractors of the Pan Borneo Highway project.
DAP Serian branch chairman Edward Andrew Luwak said the absence of any barrier or railing between the church and the big monsoon drain, would pose a safety hazard for the church-goers.
He claimed the fencing was demolished some two months ago despite it not causing any obstruction to the ongoing work on the highway project since there is still an old wooden bridge and a small road separating the church from the project site.
“One may question the rationale on the need for the demolition. This is a house of worship and the demolition of any structure related to it should be done and replaced expeditiously.
“This would mean good coordination.
“In the absence of a barrier or a railing someone could easily flip over and fall to the big stream,” said Edward, who regards himself as a regular of the church
He said that St Theresa’s Church accommodates thousands of worshipers on Sundays and during every Christian festival.
The ground floor of the church houses the hall and the compound surrounding the church is a place for organising many church events.
“Church events are big crowd pullers. Thousands of parishioners from town and surrounding villages would come. We cannot overlook the safety aspect.
“It is hoped that those concerned will look into this matter and to attend to the issue soonest,” he said.
He said while improving roads in the state is a welcomed development, the implementation of the Pan Borneo Highway project seemed to have hit some snags along the way.
“We have to admit that some of the problems and difficulties faced could have been avoided with good planning and coordination,” he said.