KUCHING, Nov 3: Democratic Action Party (DAP) former MP urges Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) to look into the deplorable conditions faced by business operators at Kota Sentosa Industry Park.
Former Stampin MP Julian Tan who is also Special Assistant to DAP Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen said he visited the site upon receiving complaints from the public.
He claimed that there are potholes everywhere within the industrial park and situation worsens during a downpour when rainwater covers the roads and potholes, making it more dangerous to road users.
There is also the issue of the drainage system which he said is “long overdue for maintenance” as bushes are overgrowing inside the drainage, resulting in stagnant pools and clogging which he claimed to be leading to flash floods.
“The most urgent of all is the overgrown bushes obscuring the view of incoming traffic from the main road (Jalan Kuching-Bau). The lower ground and inclined junction linking the main road, further worsening the field of view. It is unthinkable that people there must face such dangerous conditions daily.
“What even more shocking is the lack of high-speed ground internet connectivity. It is an ongoing issue for years. It is a shame that while we are talking about moving into Industry 4.0 (IR 4.0) and the Internet of Things (IOT), our ‘Industry-park’ comes with ‘no-internet ready’,” said Tan in a press statement today.
With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, he believed that connectivity became an essential element not just for business survivability but an integral part of Sarawakians’ life especially for students as educational institutions now move to online learning.
“I was told that those with family members who are still attending such institutions have no choice but to ‘move outside’ of the industrial park to depends on a more stable wireless internet connection.
“It is also not uncommon to send an urgent business corresponding that needs a stable internet connection via this way. What an irony,” said Tan.
Tan questioned whether the industrial park serves the purpose of being a catalyst for local economic growth.
He believed that an industrial park with such conditions would fail to attract manufacturing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
“Having its name as ‘Industry-park’ will not serve its ultimate purpose of generating the economy. It must develop proper implementation and continuous commitment to becoming a thriving, healthy ecosystem that will attract manufacturers and FDI,” said Tan. — DayakDaily
