Baru shocked villages, school in Lawas deprived of treated water

A signboard indicating the rural water supply project details is overrun by weeds.

MIRI (Nov 30): Ba Kelalan incumbent Baru Bian was shocked to learn that Lun Bawang villages and a school in Lawas were not provided with treated water supply despite being located a short distance from Trusan treatment plant and the main road.

They are Kampung Temarob, Luagan Keliling, Long Suang, Bang Suang and SK Long Tukon under Ba Kelalan constituency in Lawas District which have a total population of nearly 2,000.

Among those affected were students and teachers, he said.

“These settlements are located about four kilometres from the Mengkalap Trusan/Lawas main road and five kilometres from the Trusan regional water treatment plant.

“A rural water supply project covering this area was awarded in 2019 but was yet to be completed although it was scheduled to be completed in January this year.

“I am really speechless to hear that since the project had been approved to connect at least four major settlements here including a primary school in the area, they were still deprived of such an important amenity,” he said.

Saying he will bring the matter to the attention of the relevant government departments and agencies, Baru added that pipes are still placed on the roadside and unattended when the project should have been completed by January this year.

Responding to the grievance voiced by Wilson Tagal, a local resident at Kampung Long Suang, Baru said they should not be sidelined by the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS)/Barisan Nasional (BN)/Perikatan Nasional (PN) governments which had ruled collectively for over 58 years.

He said the prevailing situation was not as claimed that Sarawak enjoyed full coverage of infrastructure and amenities such as roads, electricity and clean water.

Baru, a presidential council member of Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) and the party’s candidate for Ba Kelalan seat, is seeking to be returned for his third term and appealed to his supporters and the constituents to exercise their rights wisely on polling day on Dec 18.

The former Works Minister said he had unaccomplished business to carry out for the people.

Addressing the ‘frog’ label on him, he said changing political platform was hardly unusual, citing former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who were previously staunch Umno leaders leaving their party, and PBB getting out of BN to form GPS and partner with PN, as examples of finding new and meaningful alliances.

“I jumped ship or parties because of policies brought by leaders who want to champion others and forget about the original struggles caused by power struggle and driven by self-interest. As such I have to look for a better vehicle to accomplish my vision and mission,” he said.

He regarded PSB as the right vehicle for him to achieve the goals, saying it was high time for Sarawak to change the government to ensure no one is being deprived of what is due to them.

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