By Nancy Nais
SIBU, April 19: It will be a joyous and meaningful Hari Raya Aidilfitri this year for the family of Mastura Jahan and Imah Man as they will be able to celebrate it in their new homes at Kampung Seduan Jaya.
Two houses costing RM170,000 was allocated by Nangka state constituency’s Jiwa Murni Programme and built by the Sarawak Fire and Rescue Services Department (Bomba).
Tearful and overwhelmed, Mastura, 54, broke down in tears before the handing over ceremony by Nangka assemblyman Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee yesterday.
Thankful to all parties for the help in rebuilding hers and her mother’s dilapidated house, Mastura was also saddened by the fact that her late husband could not witness the event as he passed away last year in September.
“My family and my mother have been living in our own respective homes at the same location for over 30 years. Whenever there is rain, even though it is not heavy, my house will flood. It was built in between two areas with higher elevation, causing rainwater to remain stagnant at where my house is located.
“Although this is a low laying area, we are not keen to move to another location because this is our own land and my 75-year-old mother Imah lives next door.
“I am glad we had help in constructing the new houses which came fully equipped with furniture and electrical appliances,” Mastura said, adding that there are 12 family members who will live in both houses.
Both houses were also equipped with smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.
The construction, which took 63 days, was built by nine firemen from Sibu Sentral, Sg Merah, Bintangor, Kanowit and Sibujaya fire stations.
Costing RM85,000 per house, these skillful firefighters led by Zemry Vincent together with Roslan Oboi, Zaini Jaman, Gara Ensonin, Peni Napeg, Ungik Jemat, Mahda Bujang, Ajeng Anyie and Hakim Supian began working on it from Jan 3 right up to March 31.
Speaking after the presentation ceremony, Bomba Sarawak director Datuk Khirudin Drahman said the department has built 12 houses throughout Sarawak under the same program.
“Previously, funding were allocated by the federal government until it was halted in 2020. This time, we were given the funds by Nangka State Assembly Community Service Centre to build these two houses.
“Our firemen have been building houses since 2017. It may not be anything luxurious, but most importantly, they (the houses) are comfortable and safe,” Khirudin said as he praised his men for their carpentry skills and extra effort, as they had volunteered to build the houses.
Going by the tagline ‘Bomba dan Masyarakat tidak dapat dipisahkan’ (there is no separation between Bomba and society), he added that the department will do whatever they can to help the community, especially those who are less fortunate.
While this year’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri will be a memorable one for the two families, Khirudin also reminded them to look after their house and avoid the 3L (lupa, lalai, leka) syndrome which means forgetfulness, carelessness, and negligence to avoid unwanted incidents such as a fire. — DayakDaily
