KUCHING: The distribution of the Sarawakku Sayang Special Assistance (BKSS) food aid to rural folks in Telang Usan constituency carries on even in hardship and difficulty.
“When the going gets tough, the tough get going,” said Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau on the difficulty to distribute the food aid to rural people.
“We are still in the midst of distributing the food aid in Telang Usan. However, due to certain factors, the process has slowed down and will go beyond the deadline on June 14,” said Dennis when contacted by New Sarawak Tribune on Sunday (June 13).
He said that it was due to shortage cooking oil and other essential items of which are “what everyone wants during this time”.
“Other factors are of course the distance and access to rural places. Some trips take hours,” he added.
He was, however, glad and thankful saying that many have supported and lent a hand in assisting with the food aid distribution in Telang Usan, in particular the Telang Usan District Office.
“I also have the support from the GPS component parties and Baram MP Anyi Ngau, as well as the community leaders, pemanca and village chiefs with the food aid,” he said.
Volunteers delivering the food aid.
Dennis said that there are 4,225 households that would receive the BKSS 6.0 food aid, not including those living away from the constituency.
“For last year’s food distribution, we included those living away from Telang Usan, but we now prioritise the rural folk here as they are in need,” he said.
Volunteers delivering the food aid. 
Volunteers delivering the food aid.
To distribute the food aid to the rural communities, Dennis said that they “rely on volunteers to help deliver the food aid as it is deep in the interior”.
“Here, our means of transportation are four-wheel-drive vehicles. We have to send it to each kampung or they pick up their food from our distribution points.
“We have set up four distribution points in Telang Usan. Long Lama town serves about 1,000 families and Long Bedian serves about 4,000 families.
“We also have over 500 packets of food aid ready to be picked up at Samling Central Base Camp (KM10), and at Long San readied with over 300 food aid packets,” explained the assemblyman.
He even told that there are villages that were cut off from road access and its bridges, which were used as logging roads, are now destroyed.
“No repair has been done on the bridge and culverts at the old logging road. So, we requested Bomba to help distribute the food aid to those who cannot reach the distribution points,” said Dennis.
Other than that, Dennis is certain that the state government will do everything to care for the people during the Covid-19 pandemic and the period of the movement control order.
