Act now, don’t wait for another tragedy, says Sarawak social activist

KUCHING (Aug 21): It is high time for the government to be more proactive in addressing safety issues and prioritise the Selampit bridge construction project in Lundu, said social activist Voon Shiak Ni.

She highlighted this following Tuesday’s boat capsize tragedy, where three secondary school students went missing after the boat they were travelling in with 15 other students sank in Sungai Kayan, Lundu.

The body of two of the missing students were found today while the search for 14-year-old Alasma Jithil continues on.

“I have been to Kampung Selampit before and remembered having approached the Lundu District Council for some improvement works to be done for the walkway used by the children and villagers to access the boat service.

“The students need to cross the river at Kpg Selampit to go back to the other side of the village after school.

“I saw the condition of the slippery walkway myself and followed up the matter a few times with the Lundu District Council,” she said in a statement.

Voon recalled that the district council said it had to bring up the matter to the state Public Works Department (JKR) and to-date she had yet to receive any news.

Adding on, she said many places, especially in the rural areas of Sarawak, lack the necessary infrastructure and children had to walk miles and cross rivers to go to school.

“Do not wait for accidents to happen and the loss of lives to act. We cannot expect zero accidents but at least the government must be more proactive especially when the issues are brought up for attention.

“It is pathetic that politicians ‘are always on the calling for action mode’ when accidents happen.

“What people actually want is for problems raised to be addressed rather than acting on only after an accident or a tragedy occurred,” she stressed.