By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Aug 6: The tragic death of a two-year-old child who fell into an uncovered manhole in Pusat Tanahwang, Jalan Dr Wong Soon Kai, is an “unforgivable failure of responsibility” by the authorities tasked with ensuring public safety, says Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak Political Education director Irene Chang.
She pointed out that the uncovered manhole was reportedly left unattended for a long period before the tragedy, and that five uncovered manholes were found along a 50-metre stretch of the road.
“This tragedy could have been avoided if the relevant authorities had stepped up on their inspection of the public infrastructures and alerted the public of the danger posed by the uncovered manhole,” she said in a statement today.
She stressed that physical barriers or warning signs should have been put up as temporary safety measures to prevent incidents such as the recent tragedy, pending the replacement of the missing manhole covers.
Chang said the tragedy must serve as a turning point for the authorities to act swiftly and decisively.
“The relevant authorities must promptly inspect and find ways to secure all manholes not only in the Tanahwang area but also in all areas in Sibu,” she urged.
She proposed that anti-theft solutions and the use of alternative materials for manhole covers be implemented to deter thefts from constantly occurring.
“The authorities must take all appropriate measures to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again,” she added.
Chang also warned that those who remove iron manhole covers and other public infrastructure for scrap must understand that their actions can endanger lives.
“It is important that those responsible are held accountable under the law, with appropriate penalties in place to prevent such dangerous offences,” she said.
“Public safety, particularly of our children, can never be compromised, especially when it was due to inaction or greed. The life of a child is too high a price to pay for incompetence, inaction, or selfish gain.” — DayakDaily
