KUCHING: Serian branch DAP Chairman, Edward Luwat urged the Government to do auditing on the15-Km Rayang/Munggu Kopi/Tanah Putih/Sebamban Road In Serian He said the cost of construction of the 15-kilometre road branching out from Kampung Rayang at the 38th Mile Kuching-Serian road to Kpg Sebamban near Serian is said to have cost RM68 million to construct. It is meant to link four villages, namely Kpg Rayang, Kpg Munggu Kupi, Kpg Tanah Putih and Kpg Semamban to the main Kuching-Serian road.
It cuts through Native Customary Rights land and land compensation can be presumed to be very little. Was the RM4.5m per kilometre justified? It was said that the road construction was awarded on a ‘negotiated’ process to a road construction company. “The road is said to have been completed but it raises ‘eye brows’.
Though relatively newly completed and mainly used by light vehicles, the road is wavy at various points. Pot holes and cracks are found along the entire road. The people of Kpg Munggu Kupi and Kpg Tanah Puteh see red as the access to their villages are not completed. The access road to Kpg Munggu Kupi, which is a short distance from the link is still too narrow and is gravelled. The access to Kpg Tanah Putih which also has a Primary School is still a gravel road too.
The bridge is still a temporary bridge. It looks like a proper bridge should be constructed. There was a bridge piling work done and stones are piled up on both sides of the stream but works seemed to have been abandoned,” he pointed out.
Edwards said the public need to know who oversee the construction or has payment been done and how much of the approved fund was retained to ensure that unfinished works are ratified. The people also want to know who is responsible to maintain the road. Is it JKR through its maintenance contractor CMS? Or has the road been vested to the Serian Council? No maintenance or repair works seem to have been done as grasses are overgrown and creepers have encroached the road.
