KUCHING, Sept 20: Belaga assemblyman Datuk Liwan Lagang has slammed a local daily for publishing a misleading report on the current situation of the 37km Menjawah-Belaga Road.
Liwan, who is currently in Japan on an official trip, said, “I was shocked with the report (by a local Malay daily) because it is misleading and unprofessional for someone to write something that is not true. In fact, what is happening now is just the opposite.
“The writer should have the courtesy to call the local leaders, including myself, for the current status of the road before publishing such a report,” Liwan told DayakDaily through WhatsApp today.
It was reported in the daily that the Menjawah-Belaga Road is now in a good condition. There was a blurb on its front page titled ‘Jalan ke pekan Belaga dalam keadaan baik’.
The road is a major issue with the locals as it often subjected to landslides and flooding. It was initially built by the army under the Jiwa Murni programme. However, due to the lack of maintenance, the road has been dubbed by the locals as a ‘roller coaster’ road due to its steep gradient and winding condition.
It caught the attention of Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg during his first official visit to Belaga last December. He immediately approved an allocation of RM50 million to upgrade the road.
Meanwhile, Liwan, who is also Assistant Minister of Water Supplies, hoped the appointed contractor would start work on the project as soon as possible as the allocation had been approved.
“It has now become a major contention among the locals as to why the road is seemingly not maintained and not upgraded as promised. It should be done as soon as possible when the weather permits and not try to do something during the wet season,” said Liwan. — DayakDaily
