KUCHING: A telco tower situated on a hilltop between Bengoh Resettlement Scheme (BRS) and Dahan Estate near here has been vandalised barely nine days after its service was restored.
Residents of five villages, four at the Bengoh Resettlement Scheme (BRS), namely, Kampung Semban, Kampung Rejoi, Kampung Pain/Bojong and Kampung Taba Sait, and Kampung Senadang extension and those surrounding Dahan Estate have called on telco companies to restore their services in the area.
They also urged the authority concerned to investigate arrest and charge the culprits.
Plantations and Commodity Industries Deputy Minister Willie Mongin said that he was informed by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Sarawak director that the tower was vandalised barely nine days after being repaired and service restored.
Willie, who is also Member of Parliament for Puncak Borneo, said this time the generator set, radiator and starter parts were vandalised and stolen, adding that this was the ninth such incident in the last one year.
Several residents including village chiefs at BRS suggested that there should be frequent patrols by the authorities to the tower, adding that the culprit should be nabbed and punished.
They also called on the telco companies to immediately restore their services, saying that users in the area have been facing communication problems while school children need internet access to do their school work.
Willie said a dialogue with MCMC, villagers and police would be held soon to discuss and tackle the matter.
“We will also explore the possibility of either strengthening the security there or as last resort to look for another suitable site which is not so isolated,” he said.
