By Ling Hui
MIRI, March 28: The recent announcement by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that the Federal and Sarawak governments would work together to complete the upgrading of the 578km ‘Jiwa Murni’ logging tracks in Sarawak before Christmas this year, may give false hope to the rural folks.
Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau said the statement was “too generic” and did not specify the sections of logging tracks that would be completely upgraded before December, which is just months away.
He said he, as an assemblyman of Telang Usan, a state constituency which consists of at least 1,000 kilometres of logging tracks, he was not convinced that the project can be completed in time.
“I was the first one to question that statement. I said I don’t want that kind of false hope. It’s false hope to the people.
“Because when you say it like that, you make a general announcement, people like in my ‘kawasan’ (constituency) they will wait (for the upgrade), but it will not happen. That’s why I say it gives them false hope.
“They should be specific. If they say under this phase we do this, this road, and this road, then okay,” Dennis told DayakDaily when met at a local hotel here on Monday (March 27).
He said local assemblymen like himself would be put in a tough spot because of such general statements by the government as they are the ones who receive endless calls from constituents about logging road repairs and upgrades.
“Of course, I’m happy that there is money allocated for that purpose, but I’m also a bit worried that that kind of announcement will give false hope to the rural people. I do hope that I’m proven wrong,” he added. — DayakDaily
