New street lightings improve night safety for longhouse folks

SIBU (March 31): A total of 15 streetlights have been installed across three longhouse areas in Rantau Panjang here to enhance night time safety for the community.

Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Bawang Assan branch chairman Councillor Kevin Lau led a team on Monday for a site visit to inspect the implementation of the project and gather feedback from residents on the newly installed streetlights.

He said the project was carried out by Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) under the Bawang Assan Special Rural Tranformation Project (RTP) fund, with the Sibu Rural District Council’s engineering department overseeing its execution.

“Previously, residents from Rumah Franky Bawok, Rumah Peter Dana (formerly known as Rumah Chinda Angkob), and Rumah Suria Mat voiced concerns about insufficient lighting along certain stretches of road at night.

“The dim conditions posed safety risks to both the community and road users.

“Through coordination and applications from various parties, funding was successfully secured to install 15 streetlights across these three longhouse areas.

“The project has now been completed smoothly by SEB’s Sibu team,” Lau said.

He added that although streetlight facilities may seem like a simple facility, they play a crucial role in providing peace of mind for residents.

Lau also urged residents of the three longhouse areas in Rantau Panjang to work together with relevant authorities to maintain public facilities and prevent vandalism, ensuring that the improvements continue to benefit the community in the long term.

Also present during the site inspection were SUPP Bawang Assan branch deputy chairman Kapitan Tan Ching Teck, Councillor Justin Wong and Councillor Johnny Ganing.