Jamit (centre) and his entourage inspect the structure of one of the four metal bridges along the 4km village road from the junction of Sungai Ulu Yong bridge to Rumah Ngelai Ampas along the bank of Sungai Yong.
KAPIT: Bukit Goram assemblyman Jefferson Jamit Unyat on Sunday inspected the ‘Jalan Berhubung Desa’ along the left bank of Sungai Yong here.
The RM900,000 four-kilometre gravel road stretches from the junction of Sungai Ulu Yong bridge to Rumah Ngelai Ampas along the bank of Sungai Yong.
Construction of the road was jointly funded by Kapit MP and Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi (RM500,000) and Jamit himself (RM400,000) through his Rural Transformation Programme (RTP) fund.
The project involved construction of four metal bridges to replace the temporary wooden bridges.
Speaking to The Borneo Post, Jamit informed that previously the longhouse folk depended on river transport which was slow and very difficult, depending on water level.
“Now with the road reaching Ulu Yong and down the Nanga Yong, the distance and time have been shortened to half an hour.
“Before this the longhouse folk cultivated hill paddy for own consumption. Now, they become farmers planting vegetables and jungle produce to sell in Kapit. Their livelihood has greatly improved.
“With the road to Ulu Yong, the longhouses along Sungai Ulu Young and also SK Ulu Yong now enjoy 24-hour reliable electricity through the Rural Electricity Supply Scheme. Many land owners now opened up their land for cash crops, especially rubber planting,” said Jamit.
With the completion of the road, Jamit hoped to introduce commercial agriculture to the people living along Sungai Tisa that is served by the road as the area is suitable for planting cash crops like rubber because the land there is undulating and fertile.
He said he would also introduce the ‘Tagang’ system of fish rearing at Sungai Tisa and Sungai Yong.
Headman of the 36-door longhouse thanked Jamit and Nanta for allocating funds to construct the road.
“The number of families in my longhouse has increased because many of the landowners here decided to come back. From just ten doors, the longhouse now has 36 doors,” Tuai Rumah Ngelai Ampas said.
He was glad to point out that life at the longhouse had greatly improved.
“As you can see, there are many four-wheel-drive vehicles and motorcycles here now because we can drive to town. Life has become much easier,” he proclaimed.