Many Believe Sarawak Boat Capsize Incident Avoidable If Promised Selampit Bridge Was Built
Residents believe the boat capsize incident which has resulted in the death of one student so far could have been avoided.
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A boat ferrying about 10 to 20 students across Sungai Kayan at Kampung Selampit near Lundu capsized and threw everyone on board into the water on Tuesday (20 August) around 6.10am.
Fifteen students were rescued but three secondary school students, a 15-year-old boy and two girls aged 14 and 17, were missing.
Sadly, the body of one of the three missing students was found on Wednesday (21 August). Villagers found the body of Vilkie Wilson, 15, at 11.58am at the Fire and Rescue command post.
The search for 14-year-old Alsma Jithil and 17-year-old Helena Fasha Petrus continues.
The incident angered locals
The incident angered many Sarawakian locals who believe that the tragedy could have been avoided if the government kept the promise to build a bridge over the river in Kampung Selampit.
Mas Gading MP Mordi Bimol urged the federal government, state government, the Public Services Commission (SPA), the Public Works Department, and the relevant authorities to stop delaying the bridge-building project.
Mordi said the project has always been brought up during parliamentary meetings but nothing has been done. He reiterated that they wanted the bridge earlier to prevent an incident like this.
How long do the kampung residents around Sungai Batang Kayan have to wait? Until many more victims die?
Mas Gading MP Mordi Bimol
Mordi explained that the Selampit Bridge project has been approved under the 11th Malaysia Plan (RMK-11) for 2016 to 2020.
However, the project was never put into motion. Mordi said he brought up the issue in every parliamentary meeting but it kept getting postponed due to the site approval process by SPA.
Since 2018, the site approval application had been made four times but Mordi felt the process took an unimaginably long time. He believes that if the approval had gone through, the bridge would have been built and the current tragedy could have been avoided.
In addition, Mordi pointed out that the project did get SPA approval on 27 September 2022 but the cost to build totalled RM27.93 million. He said the project now needs an additional RM14.1 million, bringing the total cost to RM42.03 million.
He said the price hike is due to the alignment and location of the project as well as the higher construction cost.
He worried that if the project keeps getting delayed, the cost will continue to increase and the wait will also endanger the lives of residents.
Mordi emphasised that people’s lives shouldn’t be politicised. He said the Sarawak and federal governments should use their powers and responsibilities to make sure these projects are not delayed any further.
For the time being, Mordi urges everyone who crosses the river on water vehicles like boats to be extra careful and take safety precautions, especially if they ferry school students across.
Mordi, currently in Denmark for work, also promised to provide support and aid to the victims’ families once he returns.
A resident Mida Anak Nowil said the incident happened right in front of his home. Speaking to TRP, he said he saw the boat sink in the middle of the river and everyone nearby rushed to help when they heard the cries for help.
When asked about the bridge project, he confirmed the location is ready and available but the work never started and the people were never informed about the project’s status.
The bridge is important. It can also be used for emergencies such as when there’s a fire, sickness, for hospital visits. Please, I hope the relevant authorities and related bodies will build the Selampit Bridge.
Mida Anak Nowil
Geeta Rs from Kampung Selampit also lamented about the yet-to-be-realised bridge promise.
Writing on Facebook, Geeta claimed the promise had been repeated for over 30 years now.
“Despite the villagers’ patience, election after election, politicians continue to restate this unfulfilled pledge, yet the bridge remains nonexistent,” she said.
“Who is accountable for this preventable tragedy? Will the government take responsibility for endangering the lives of these villagers?” she asked following the recent tragedy.
Geeta highlighted the fact that Kampung Selampit was not that far from Kuching where there have been considerable developments yet a simple bridge for the village remains overlooked.
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