KUCHING: The minor damage to the roof and signage of a guardhouse at SK Sacred Heart, Kampung Semeba on Aug 4 caused by a helicopter landing is not a big issue and has been settled, said Youth and Sports Assistant Minister Datuk Snowdan Lawan.
Snowdan revealed that on the morning of the incident, he was returning to Kuching via helicopter as he had been attending an official function in Betong the day before.
He told reporters this after officiating at the Kibar Jalur Gemilang Campaign 2019 and Kembara Merdeka Jalur Gemilang (KMJG) convoy at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here yesterday.
“I knew there was a programme being held at the Kampung Semeba hall, so I requested the pilot to drop me off,” he said, referring to a Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) function.
He explained that as per protocol, the helicopter pilot had checked with the control tower first to enquire where he could land.
According to the tower’s records, previous records showed that helicopters had landed at SK Sacred Heart, which was not far from the function hall.
“So with this, they gave us permission to land for a drop-off at SK Sacred Heart,” Snowdan said.
He then elaborated that during the landing procedure, the roof of the guardhouse in front of SK Sacred Heart was slightly damaged.
He speculated that perhaps it was the strong winds generated by the spinning helicopter blades that caused the damage.
The very next day, Aug 5, Snowdan said that he met with the school authorities, whereby he assured them that he would help them.
“The damage could actually have been simply repaired, but I told them we can just replace the whole roof with a new one. They were very happy,” he stated, noting that the roof was also rusty as the school had been around for decades.
Other than that, he disclosed that he also donated RM5,000 to the SK Sacred Heart Parent-Teacher Association (PIBG), in addition to funds for sporting equipment and the library amounting to RM3,000 and RM2,000, respectively.
The total fund of RM10,000 donated was not inclusive of the cost of replacing the guardhouse roof and signboard, which was also covered by Snowdan. Repair works for the damaged guardhouse would begin soon, he said.
“It was resolved with no problems,” he emphasised, adding that Kampung Semeba was his late mother’s village, and that he had grown up there when he was younger.
“I still come and visit as many of my relatives live here,” Snowdan told reporters.
He also remarked that certain parties were seemingly making a mountain out of a molehill concerning the minor incident.
