By Karen Bong
KUCHING, March 24: The Kuching South City Council (MBKS) has taken immediate action to cover a small sinkhole-like depression that appeared on Padungan Road near the MBKS community hall, as a temporary measure while awaiting repairs from Sarawak Water following a pipe leakage.
MBKS Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng said the action came after a video of the hole went viral on Facebook, but he urged the public to notify authorities directly rather than relying solely on social media.
“While putting it on Facebook to notify and alert the public is good, I think they should also notify the authorities concerned, it will lead to a better result and action.
“Of course everybody wants coverage, but as Sarawakians or Kuchingites, we want to protect everybody and make sure everyone is safe outdoors,” he said in a pre-recorded interview when met at the N6 Tupong Aidilfitri open house hosted by Tupong assemblyman Dato Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman at Hikmah Hall in Petra Jaya today.
Wee stressed that immediate notification to the city council is crucial.
“Like when there is a fire, you call Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) immediately. You don’t post it on Facebook first. We need to change that attitude,” he added.
Following the viral post, MBKS dispatched a team to inspect the site and discovered a burst water pipe beneath the surface.
As a temporary fix, the council backfilled the hole, applied a layer of premix surfacing, and placed cones to alert the public.
Wee highlighted that Sarawak Water has been notified to carry out permanent repairs.
He appealed again to the public to report structural or safety concerns directly to the relevant authorities to ensure prompt action.
“Inform us immediately so action can be taken to address the issue and ensure the safety of the public, especially road users,” he said. — DayakDaily
