Another long and frustrating wait

Another long and frustrating wait         14/7/2013

[Surviving without piped water for decades](The Borneo Post.  Wednesday, 10/July2013.  Home )  by Jane Moh reporters@the borneopost.com

Sibu:  No one appreciates clean water supply like longhouses folk in Ulu Naman and Sg Naman.

        Decades ago, they bathed in the river and decades later, they are still bathing in the same river.

        “The difference is with the development and the presence of palm oil plantations, the water in the drain and river is no longer clean and free from pollution.  They are also drying up.

        “You see grass covering drains which are drying up.  Sometimes they spray weed killer.   We shouldn’t bathe there  but we have no choice,”  she lamented.

        “Tuai Rumah Pop Cendang, 50, in “Sg Naman said in his younger days he used to bathe and drink water from the river.

        “Times have changed as the longhouse folk have electricity, but the river is very dirty now and drying up,” he said.

        Alice Rantai, Janoi Luat, and Jessi Tanjong bathe and clean their clothes in a pond outside their house.  Subsequently, their skins itch and red spots appear on their legs.

        Mohd Sabli Abdullah, 39, told The Borneo Post the longhouse folk had not received piped water since his grandfather’s time.  His grandfather had applied for it many times but to no avail.

        “My grandfather has died, and I am already 39 years old – imagine how long it has been,” he said.

        Kong Sin Foo, 67, from RH Rose Jayam consists of 22 doors.  The longhouse folk go to Julau and Durin every day to get clean water for drinking and cooking especially during the dry season.

        “In June and July, droughts are frequent.  Although there may be rain, the rainwater cannot be used for cooking as it smells of smoke,” he said.

        He rides his motorcycle to Julau every day to get clean water.

        “We go anywhere where there is water, “ he said.

        Lemba Kom, 65, pays at least RM2.50 every day for others to get her clean water from Julau.

        “The water is free.  The RM2.50 is the transport charge – 50 sen per bottle (one gallon) and I have five bottles,” she said.

        She said June and July are the worst months.

        Schools nearby are also affected by the lack of clean water supply.  However, each school has a tube well and treated water but they’re inadequate.

        A school principal who requested anonymity said water from the tube well is safe for consumption.

        “We have students staying here so we ration the water.  Should the water in the well dry up, we ask the Welfare Department to send us some water, for which we are thankful,”  he said.

        The school still depends on rainwater for washing and cooking.

        A longhouse folk recalled that the Works Department had assured they would bring clean water to the longhouse once a month.

        “In reality they only come once every few months.  Once a month is not enough, they should come once in two weeks,” she suggested.

This is what has been happening to these poor folk in Ulu Naman and Sg Naman.    The words in bold are exact copy from the newspaper.  The followings are my opinions, comments and expressions of anger, frustration and disgust towards the BN government led by Taib Mahmud and his cronies.   Hence I can’t help from not screaming and shouting for them to get the attention and services they deserve.

        These crowned political clowns are apathetic towards the poor kampong folk.  They are only interested in amassing as much wealth for themselves as possible.  When it is an election, be it state / federal, the representatives would come to woo the folk to support them and gave a lot of promises if they faced the competition.  When they won, they forgot all the promises they made for the poor kampong folk even the basic needs of the people like water which is the source of life and death to a person..

        Hence I can understand perfectly well, why Mhd Sabli Abdullah, 39 whose grandfather had applied many times but to no avail.    It is really abusive of the BN government led by Taib Mahmud and his cronies.  They have had “no  hearts“ for the poor Naman Kampong folk.  I wonder how many years have passed from his grandfather to him.  I guess it is at least 50 years.  What a shame!

        It is only 7 years more / less to reach 2020 but………. how can we tell the world we are a developed country when I believe many and many and many people like the folk in Ulu Naman are not even facilitated with piped water?   Alamak! 

        According to Pop Chendang, 50, the river has become so dirty and unfit for drinking and bathing.  Who has made the river so dirty and polluted now and created the ‘hell’ to these poor kampong folk?    What a pity!  Whose responsibility is it to safeguard the safety and cleanliness of the river system?   Which authority should the people turn to complain about their plights and about the spray of weed killer on the grass covering the drains there?   Didn’t they know the weed killer would pollute the water?

        Arh……………………………according to Alice Rantai, Janoi Luat and Jessi Tanjong the water has become so toxic that the use of it makes their skins itch and red spots appear on their legs.  

        What a curse to see that the poor folk in Ulu Naman  have to face so much hardship and many difficulties to get treated water for drinking and cooking.  They have to use contaminated water for washing clothes and bathing. 

        Whom should the crowned political clowns blame when these poor folk turn their backs against the BN government?    I believe once these people can understand and have the aware what their rights are, gone is the BN government led by Taib Mahmud and his cronies.   Allow me to make a prediction, there is no more chance for them after SOS/505.