By DayakDaily Team
SIBU, Feb 9: Solar-powered lights have been installed around the Sibu District Police Headquarters (IPD) as part of efforts to improve safety and illumination in the area.
According to TVS, Dudong assemblyman Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing said the project involved the installation of 55 solar lamps around the IPD at a cost of RM110,000, carried out through a community gotong-royong initiative.
“I would like to thank the Sibu IPD Police Club and all parties involved. I am confident they know how to implement this project successfully,” he said during the official inauguration of the solar lighting project at the IPD on Sunday (Feb 8).
Tiong, who is also Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture and Bintulu MP, explained that the community-based approach proved more cost-effective than traditional tender methods, while also allowing residents to participate directly.
“If all small projects go to tender, costs can become significantly higher. We must trust the community and give them opportunities to carry out projects they are capable of completing,” he said, adding that such initiatives also allow people to learn, work together, and protect public interests.
Beyond providing illumination, Tiong highlighted the project’s importance for security, noting that dark areas around the active parts of the police compound pose risks and that safety is not the sole responsibility of the police.
He also mentioned the possibility of additional funding in the future to ensure the entire Sibu police compound is adequately lit.
Sibu District Police Chief ACP Zulkipli Suhaili added that Tiong had expressed plans to provide further funding for another solar lighting project as an enhancement to the current initiative.
“Proper lighting greatly supports safety, smooth policing operations, and gives officers and the public a greater sense of security, especially during night-time interactions at the IPD,” he said. — DayakDaily
