‘No excuse’: Batu Kitang rep slams two-year delay over 10th Mile water issue fixed in a week

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By Shikin Louis

KUCHING, May 4: Batu Kitang assemblyman Dato Lo Khere Chiang has criticised what he described as an inexcusable two-year delay in resolving a water supply problem affecting a row of shophouses — an issue that ultimately took just one week to fix.

While welcoming the completion of works that restored proper water pressure to 12 affected units, Lo said the timeline exposed serious shortcomings in response and accountability.

“It only took one week to settle this issue. Why didn’t you do it two years ago? They said they were going to do it in two or three months’ time, but they never did.

“We got angry and went to the office about a month ago before they acted. It shouldn’t come to that,” he told reporters during a press conference at the 10th Mile shophouses today.

Lo further said the 10th Mile area is home to about 300 shophouses, all of which have good water supply except for one row of 12 units, where businesses struggled with extremely low water pressure for two years.

As the elected representative of the Batu Kitang constituency, Lo expressed his disappointment over the delay and said he felt embarrassed before his constituents, adding that he was grateful for their patience and that they did not bring the matter to the media or take any drastic measures.

“To me, there’s no excuse why this should happen. No excuse at all. This kind of problem shouldn’t happen.

“Water, electricity, telecommunications — these are essential services that affect people directly. When they fail, the impact is immediate,” he stressed.

The issue was eventually fixed after the old 2-inch pipeline was replaced with a 6-inch main, significantly improving supply and pressure to the affected row of shophouses.

Lo also pointed out the wider implications of such lapses, saying poor handling of basic infrastructure reflects badly on public service delivery and the government as a whole.

“If these services are not well managed, it gives a very bad impression of the government of the day,” he said.

He has since called on Sarawak Water Sdn Bhd to be more proactive and responsive, warning that similar delays must not be repeated.

Despite the resolution, Lo indicated he will continue raising other water pressure issues in his constituency, particularly in Kampung Bunga Rampai and RPR Landeh, where residents still face inconsistent supply.

Also present during the press conference were Penghulu Lim Eng Huat, Kapitan Lim Eng Kok, Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) councillors Lim Lian Kee, Gerald Goh and Alvin Chong, and Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Batu Kitang Women chief Doreen Chong. — DayakDaily

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