‘Improve dam built by DAP not build new one’
Edward Andrew Luwak
Its Serian branch chairman Edward Andrew Luwak said if modification could be done to the dam built by DAP’s Impian Sarawak, he would welcome MoH to do so, rather than building a new one which would be a waste of public funds.
“My priority is to solve the problem of the people. If MoH can modify the dam to meet MoH’s standard and later, link the pipe system to the existing one MoH *has built, we welcome the move, as long as the village folk can enjoy uninterrupted water supply,” Edward told The Borneo Post yesterday.
Edward said when Impian Sarawak designed the dam, there was every intention for the system to be joined to the existing reticulation system.
“When I went to Kpg Empani on Wednesday, I was told that a small group from 15 families under the instruction of the village chief was making a survey on building a new dam between the dam MoH built for Kpg Mawang in 2013 and the dam built by Impian Sarawak.
“Whoever are involved, I hope they stop it as that would trigger further enmity between the people. It does not make sense to have another dam. The Impian Sarawak dam is sufficient to store water for the whole of Kpg Empani and even for expected new families. I am willing to be a mediator to solve this issue,” elaborated Edward.
He explained that the water supply problem was not caused by ‘bad blood’ but rather due to the wrong approach by MoH in 2013.
“The right decision of the MoH would have been to convince the people of both Kpg Sangai Mawang (Kpg Mawang) and Kpg Empani. MoH had the fund and the experts for the project. It should have been them convincing the people on which was the best water source. In that way, the cost would have been reduced,” said Edward, adding that the creation of Kpg Empani 30 years ago was not due to a feud but rather the need to expand the village area.
He further pointed out that the Steward Tray Filtration system (STFS) is not a water treatment system.
“It is rather a small filtration system placed at strategic locations in the village where people can take treated water for direct consumption.
Under gravity feed system provided both by MoH and DAP, water running from the tap in the houses is raw untreated water. Therefore, there should be no question of ‘degradation of water’.”
Edward was commenting on the response from Kedup assemblyman Martin Ben and state Health Director Datu Dr Zulkifli Jantan on the matter.
Both Martin and Dr Zulkifli had come forward to give their explanations for the water shortage after state DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen had accused MoH of choosing a poor water source for a dam for Kpg Empani folk in 2013 and for its refusal to give permission for the new system built by Impian Sarawak to be connected to the existing system.
According to Martin, the water problem at Kpg Empani was because the villagers refused to share the same dam with Kpg Mawang due to a long-established feud while Dr Zulkifli said the reason for turning down the application to merge the two water supply systems, among others, was the fear of degradation of water as DAP’s dam did not have a filtration system and the dam was at a low elevation.
“I am to correct the statement of Martin which stated that Impian Sarawak water supply did not reach the village. The commissioning of the supply on Oct 3 was at the village itself. Impian Sarawak just requests to connect the supply to the existing main pipeline,” clarified Edward.
He further emphasised that just like the water from the dam built by Impian Sarawak, water from the dam built for Kpg Mawang by MoH was not treated, which put into doubt the legitimacy of Dr Zulkilfli’s claim of possible water degradation when the two systems are joined.
“Putting politics aside, let us work for the wellbeing of the people,” stressed Edward.
Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2015/10/09/improve-dam-built-by-dap-not-build-new-one/#ixzz3oEsgut8Q
My comments:
It
is indeed good of Edward
Andrew Luwak to speak the truth of what has really gone wrong to the water
supply system. He has also made good
suggestions how to improve the existing dam built by DAP. Now everybody has the true picture of what
has happened.
It is good that we live in the age when
nothing can be hidden like before. No
one whose voice is to tell all anymore. Everybody
can chip in to tell and guess what they know.
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