By Ling Hui
KUCHING, Nov 25: Meradong assemblyman Datuk Ding Kuong Hiing has called on Deputy Minister for Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Dato Gerald Rentap Jabu to see for himself the dilapidated condition of the Bintagor Sports Complex’s running tracks.
Ding, during the question and answer session at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting here today, brought up the need to urgently upgrade the sports facilities in Bintagor Sports Complex before any untoward incidents happen.
Rentap’s answer was that the ministry had submitted a RM60 million project titled ‘Upgrading and Maintenance of Existing Facilities for All Sports Facilities’ under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), which intends to upgrade and refurbish sports facilities in every division, including Meradong.
“My ministry will resubmit this proposal during the Mid-Term Review in line with the proposal under the Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 for approval, as the ministry is also concerned with providing safe, conducive, and standard facilities to the public,” Rentap added.
Obviously unsatisfied with Rentap’s response, Ding said, before presenting his two supplementary questions, that he had been given the same answer several times already.
“I’m sorry, YB deputy minister. I think this answer — I have (been told this) a couple of times already.
“If you were to be so kind as to come down to Meradong, I’m only too glad to show you the place and only then you’ll realise how bad the condition (of the running tracks) is,” said Ding.
To Ding’s humble request, Rentap gave his word that he would go to Meradong and visit the sports complex.
“As I have been to most of the stadiums, including those in Lundu, Kanowit and even Kapit. So, we’ve seen a lot of dilapidation of the state of the stadiums because of wear and tear.
“And because for the last two years, there was Covid-19, so we could not do maintenance (works) and repair for a lot of facilities,” he said.
According to previous records, Ding had brought up the same issue in the 2019 DUN sitting, highlighting that the Bintangor Sports Complex has never been renovated since its commissioning in the early 1970s. — DayakDaily
