PADAWAN: After decades of lighting kerosene lamps at night to brighten their homes, residents of Kampung Sapit in Ulu Padawan will soon be getting 24-hour electricity from the main grid after the Rural Electricity Supply Project (BELB) to the village is being listed under the Additional and Outstanding Application Scheme (ALAF) Phase 4 to be implemented in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Kampung Sapit, known as the village above the clouds, is located in the highlands of Borneo Highlands, which is 67km from Kuching city.
The village and its surrounding areas are one of the increasingly popular tourist destinations in Ulu Padawan – a very popular spots for hikers and those who love extreme outdoor activities.
It is also the only Bidayuh village in Ulu Padawan without electricity, while the road connecting the village to the city was only built and completed in 2018.
The approval of the electricity project was the result of the efforts of Puncak Borneo MP Datuk Willie Mongin, who submitted an application and made a follow-up with the Ministry of Rural Development (KPLB) in Putrajaya.
Willie, who is also federal Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, said the approval of the project was based on the site survey work and the condition of the houses in the village that met the criteria set under the scheme.
However, he said the allocation from KPLB to implement the project would be channelled to the Sarawak Ministry of Utilities and Telecommunications, which acts as the implementing body for the project.
Meanwhile, Kampung Sapit Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) secretary Jessing Awos Umi said both Willie and Mambong assemblyman Datuk Dr Jerip Susil had played a big role in the materialisation of the project.
“The JKKK submitted an application to the Mambong ADUN (Dr Jerip) and also to the Puncak Borneo MP (Willie).
“The Mambong assemblyman wrote a letter to the Sarawak Utilities Department to apply for an electricity supply extension project under the Late and Supplementary Application Fund (ALAF) project while the Puncak Borneo MP applied for the BELB project to KKLW and it was approved this year.”
Jessing said there were 90 houses in Kampung Sapit, including 30 new ones, and all of them were eligible for the BELB project.
On another note, he said the road project to Kampung Sapit was built through the Mambong ADUN rural transformation project (RTP) in 2016 and completed in 2018.
A villager, Monica Carrie, however called upon the authorities to upgrade the road, especially improving the safety aspect.
Monica said this was for the safety of not only villagers using the road everyday but the increasing number of tourists flocking to the village.
“The roads are not only steep but also slippery when it rains, while the corners are very dangerous to motorists.
“At any time, accidents can occur so the authorities should urgently look into improving the safety aspect of the road.”
