Screengrab from Wee’s Facebook live stream at the overhead bridge along Jalan Pending on Friday.
KUCHING (Sept 16): The Kuching City South Council (MBKS) is taking steps to undertake major repair works on a deteriorating section of Jalan Kwong Lee Bank, where a sinkhole has emerged.
Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng said that the council had in fact called for a tender for the repair works several months ago and it expected to appoint a contractor soon.
The current patching up of the road was only a temporary measure, he told The Borneo Post when contacted over criticism leveled against the council by Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong recently over the ‘pothole’.
“We had done the patching for three times, the first time in February, then in May and the last one was in July. We had actually wanted to do the patching again recently when this people’s representative for Pending came and did her political show live on Facebook.
“You don’t do a show on Facebook and (expect) it can be settled or solved. If you can do that then l can say that l have broken the record for live on Facebook for 180 times. Does it mean that everything is settled? No, not everything can be settled,” Wee said.
Yong had claimed that MBKS team was incapable of carrying out the necessary repair works and must seek help from relevant authorities.
The Democratic Action Party Sarawak organising secretary added that the condition of the said road over the past seven months was a safety hazard and an inconvenience to road users.
Wee pointed out that MBKS had been continuously monitoring the situation and in July, it was discovered that it was not a mere pothole but a sinkhole that was developing due to underground drainage.
“We did a study on the matter and after discussion with our engineer and a consultant, we called for a tender for the repair works and when the application for the tender was closed on August 25, we have come to a final evaluation on Sept 13 with the consultant, and the contractor will be appointed and awarded soon.
“For the tender, you need time to do an evaluation, interview the contractor/contractors, and bring it up to the council Tender Board Committee and it needs approval from the Full Council which will endorse the tender,” explained Wee.
Wee said MBKS is doing its best to serve Kuching South municipality and it doesn’t need unconstructive criticism from any quarter who only know how to put on political shows on social media.