Wong (front, fifth left) and party members give the thumbs up after the installation of a solar street lighting at Jalan Paradom, Sibu.
SIBU (April 8): Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) will install over 200 solar street lights in five areas in Bawang Assan over the next few months.
Its president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh identified the areas as Sungei Bidut, Engkilo, Sungei Sadit, Sungei Empawah and Paradom, which are all under Bawang Assan constituency.
“Street lighting is almost non-existent in these rural areas and the party has decided to install more than 200 solar street lights in the areas over the new few months,” he told reporters after installing one at Jalan Paradom yesterday.
Wong said the solar street lighting would be installed at strategic areas such as junctions and ‘turning points’ to provide convenience to the people going out at night.
“We cannot install them at every corner because we are only a political party. Our effort is to complement Sibu Rural District Council (SRDC) and do our part in helping the rural people,” he said.
The Bawang Assan assemblyman said he had received feedback on the need to install street lighting in these areas when distributing essential food items to every household in rural areas due to the Covid-19 pandemic recently.
“Street lighting will help prevent accidents and theft cases in the areas at night.
“House-breaking and theft of fruit from orchards, chickens and ducks are pretty common in the rural areas,” he said.
On the solar street lighting, Wong said it was a new technology widely used by people around the world.
It is fully automatic in that it shuts down when there is sunlight, and comes on when it is dark, he added.
Wong said in Kuching, there were also solar street lights installed at Mambong and Serembu, sponsored by PSB.