Dr Sim (second left) checks on the affected area.
KUCHING: The Public Works Department (JKR) has been chided for not improving and upgrading the drainage system on both sides of the federal road from Jalan Batu Kawah, Stapok until Datuk Chong Kiun Kong Bridge.
Minister of Housing and Local Government Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian, who is Batu Kawah assemblyman, said in a statement yesterday that during a visit on Tuesday (Oct 22), he found the area’s water outlet was severely blocked, causing the area to be inundated during heavy downpours.
Dr Sim said the Batu Kawah Service Centre had received feedback from the public regarding the inundated road since this year.
“Thus, the service centre team members have investigated it on site and written in to the state Public Works Department requesting authorities to rectify this issue.
Photo shows the inundated road during a heavy downpour.
“However, JKR still has not solved the problem even though the whole stretch of road is under the federal government’s jurisdiction and JKR should have the absolute rights and responsibility to upgrade the drainage system along the road to ensure the safety of road users,” Dr Sim complained.
He added that his secretary had written to JKR with photo attachments of the affected area to facilitate JKR’s prompt action on the issue.
“Thus, I hope that JKR will have no more excuses to get the issue solved,” Dr Sim said, adding that it was unacceptable for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government to collect various taxes from Sarawak yearly without providing Sarawakians with better federal road infrastructure.