Arunarnsin (centre), Jaffari (left) and Taren inspecting PPR flats at Gum Gum.
SANDAKAN: A joint delegation led by elected representatives Arunarnsin Bin Taib and Jaffari Waliam paid a long inspection visit to the Gum Gum area in Sandakan recently to take a first-hand look at problems faced by the residents there.
They were joined by the Sandakan Municipal Council’s Highway & Public Utilities Committee (HPUC) led by Taren Sunil Manoharan, Libaran and Gum Gum branch officers and representatives from JKR, Drainage & Irrigation Department (DID) and Syarikat Pengurusan Harta Amalmaju Sdn. Bhd, the management of the Gum Gum PPR housing area.
The visit started off at the Gum Gum tamu ground where Arunarnsin gave a briefing on his plans for improving the tamu grounds and the surrounding area.
Arunarnsin, who is also Gum Gum assemblyman, also revealed that an overhead bridge is planned for the area so as to provide safety for residents and visitors to the area especially during busy periods at the tamu grounds.
The team was later briefed by Fandi of Syt. Pengurusan Harta Amalmaju Sdn. Bhd, on the work progress concerning management of the Gum Gum PPR housing.
“Cleanliness has improved and they are still working on other issues like lighting of walkways, stairs and corridors. There were still problems about drain covers and illegally connected pipes. In fact there were even pipes that were connected to allow sewage water to flow directly into the open drains,” noted Taren Sunil, who was together with fellow HPUC members Said Rasul bin Kallah Khan, Mohd Hanafia Bin Abidin and Rosly Aziz.
The joint delegation also found that some of the water tank facilities were not working properly and the sewage treatment plant was also faulty.
At several sections, the roads within the housing area were also in bad shape.
“JKR will take action on the sewage treatment plant while contractor PKM will do the necessary road repairs as soon as possible,” said Taren Sunil.
As there have been many complaints about flooding, the delegation went on to inspect the Gum Gum river which is alongside the PPR housing area.
After studying the situation, DID representative Henry Chong, who was with the team, said that he would make arrangements to clear the river of blockage by removing trash, debris and silt.
However, it was noted that the job could not be done properly under the present situation because many houses have been built very close to the river bank making it impossible for machinery and equipment to come in to dredge the river.
“YB Arunarnsin will ask his men to advise the owners of these houses on the need to move their dwellings away from the riverside. If necessary, the SMC will have to issue notices to the owners of these houses, otherwise the flooding problems cannot be solved,” said Taren Sunil.
The joint site visits by elected representatives and their officers together with representatives from local authorities and departments as well as their contractors and other involved parties have become a regular feature in Sandakan District.
“The SMC and HPUC are very pleased to extend our full cooperation and assistance to all concerned parties to work closely together for the good of the community.”
“We will do our best to remedy all problems that come under our jurisdiction and also help refer to other relevant authorities such as JKR, SESB and DID regarding matters beyond our scope of duty,” Taren Sunil stressed.