KUCHING: Kuching South City Council (MBKS) Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng has come out to set the record straight on allegations that the council was evading the responsibility of maintaining the overhead bridge escalator near Timberland Medical Centre here.
In a press conference Monday (Jan 30) Wee took issue with Michael Kong, the special assistant to Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen, who had pointed the accusatory finger at MBKS.
Wee said he had made it clear that the Public Works Department (PWD) had not handed over the infrastructure to MBKS and hence maintenance work does not come under the council.
“Not to mention that PWD has already issued a statement on the matter. As (a special assistant to the) elected representative, you should know your surroundings well,” he said.
“If you don’t know an overhead bridge or its escalator is under whose maintenance, that says a lot. We are all in the government and we help each other. More importantly, we help the people we serve,” he said.
Wee said since PWD has not handed over the overhead bridge to MKBS , the council has no jurisdiction over its maintenance.
“This is simple language and if he still cannot understand, I shall speak in Tamil,” Wee said in jest.
He asserted that parties who raised the matter should instead lodge a complaint with the authority, in this case the PWD, rather than bringing up the issue over social media.
“Lodge a complaint and get it done and people, the council, and you will be happy. To me, FB (Facebook) is not the proper channel.
“You don’t expect us to follow your FB. Then why should we create Talikhidmat and iPeople? So go through the proper channel, let us listen to you and get things done.
“I also appeal to every individual in the city to do the same when they come across any problems,” he said.
Towards this end Wee said being a new year, he hoped to have a new start.
“Let’s work differently to serve the people. It’s time to change your approach and how you handle things. We don’t push responsibilities away, if it’s our work, we will get it done,” he said.
He said there is no need for Kong and others to politicise the escalator issue if they truly mean to serve the community well.
“It requires a lot of money to maintain the escalator. For us, we want to see things run properly so that we can take over. We must have the capacity to maintain it. Functional means we can still use it.
“The escalator was shut down because it has been vandalised a few times. PWD has responded and I think that clears it up. They should have condemned those who vandalised the escalator. Is it correct for those people to do that (vandalism)?” added Wee.
Earlier Kong said it was “inexcusable for Wee Hong Seng to again try to sidestep responsibilities” in the non-functioning escalator issue by throwing the ball back at PWD Sarawak.
He asserted that both PWD Sarawak and MBKS have to stop pushing the buck but take decisive action.
