SIMUNJAN:
There had been more than 10 jetties being built here since 1991 but
each was destroyed in a span of only three months after its completion,
due to the strong currents of Batang Sadong.
Assistant Minister in
Chief Minister’s Office (Resource Planning) Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais
noted this, adding that over the last two decades, he had allocated
between RM2 million and RM3 million for the construction of these
jetties.
“The same applies to jetties in Gedong. The latest one
was the one in Kampung Perintah Masjid in Gedong, where it practically
broke into two only three months after its completion,” he told The
Borneo Post yesterday.
According to Naroden – who is also Simunjan
assemblyman, both this town and Gedong are situated at the concave part
of Batang Sadong, which strong currents has been causing riverbank
erosions that led not only to jetties being destroyed, but also
shophouses collapsing.
“About 50 years ago, five shophouse units in Simunjan went underwater due to the soil erosion at the river bank,” he said.
As
such, Naroden – who is also Assistant Minister in Chief Minister’s
Office (Bumiputera Entrepreneurs Development) – said he would commission
another jetty construction here only after the RM3-million embankment
project was completed by the end of the year.
The embankment project, which began in May, is among the efforts by the government to address the riverbank erosion.
Naroden said he hoped to develop the riverbank into a waterfront following the completion of the project.
The
assistant minister’s statement came in response to the request by Iban
resident Tawi Seli, 49, of Kampung Sabang, which is situated opposite
this town across the Batang Sadong.
In his request, Tawi said if
there had been a jetty at the town area, his 13-year-old son Vickrane – a
student of SMK Semunjan No 1 – would still be alive today.
“At
the moment, there’s no jetty in the town area. We Iban folk living
across the river have to use the waterway and alight anywhere, which can
be dangerous.
“That what happened to my son when he tried to alight from the boat on July 30.
“As
the engine broke down, strong currents swept the boat and hit it
against the barge carrying building materials for the embankment
project.
There were six on board (the boat) but only my son was killed
in the incident.
“I believe that if there were jetties for them to
alight, that accident would not have happened. This is why I ask for a
jetty to be built about 50m away from the site of the embankment
project,” said Tawi.
There are several villages such as Kampung
Sabang, Kampung Labi and Kampung Alik across the Batang Sadong from this
town, housing some 2,000 Iban and Malay residents.
On Tawi’s
plea, Naroden said after checking with police and the rescue team on the
July 30 incident, it is found that the cause was not the lack of
jetties, but rather because of the engine breaking down coupled with
having lack of safety precautions.
“The engine broke down, leaving
it at the mercy of the currents. There was also no safety precaution on
board – there wasn’t even any oar or paddle on the boat. If there’s
one, the accident could have been prevented.
“Secondly, everyone
on board was supposed to wear life jacket. We have enough life jackets
for all passengers, especially the students. I’ve checked with the
school authorities, I’m sure there are enough (life jackets) seeing that
the number of students using the river transport tally with the number
of life jackets available.
“I understand that the sorrow of the
father (Tawi). However, I must stress that the accident occurred not
because of the lack of jetties, but due to negligence.”
Naroden
also said due to the fast rate of the strong currents destroying
jetties, he would only build the jetty there after the embankment
project was completed.
“If I were to build (a jetty) now, it would again be destroyed by river currents after three months,” he said Naroden.
Meanwhile, Kapitan Liew Wui Tchiun hoped that the government could bring an institution of higher learning.
“As
you can see, nothing’s really happening here as compared to before
this. Simunjan used to be the centre of administration, where people
from Serian, Sebuyau and Gedong came here for their identity card
applications, as well as renewal of licences.”
Liew also suggested
that the state government would develop Gunong Ngeli – once the place
where the Japanese mined coal to be shipped to their country during the
Japanese Occupation – into a tourism spot that could boost the local
economy.
