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MIRI – A group of natives in the deep interior of Baram district in northern Sarawak have staged a protest at a river to vent their frustration with the state government for failing to rebuild a collapsed bridge that was swept away by floods late last year.
The bridge was the only nearby physical structure allowing them to cross the waterway to travel on to villages and towns on the other side.
The desperate protest was held yesterday afternoon across Sg Paong by villagers of Long Apu settlement, about seven hours’ drive by timber road from Miri city.
On the day the federal government announced RM5.4 billion in allocations for Sarawak under Budget 2023, these Baram natives were unable to have even a simple bridge to use and had to stage a desperate protest to express their difficulties, said native social activist Willie Kajan.
Kajan told The Vibes today that the protest at the river was a desperate attempt by the affected people to highlight their plight.
“The bridge across Sg Paong is the only land link with the outside world for the communities in Long Apu and several other settlements in the upper reaches.
“The bridge had collapsed late last year during the floods and was swept away by the river currents.
“Until now, nothing had been done by the authorities to build a replacement bridge.
“The villagers can only cross the river and get to Miri by navigating their four-wheel drive vehicles across during low tide but that is very risky as the vehicles can break down inside the river.
“The only other option is for the villagers to travel by boat to the other side, and then hire vehicles to go Miri, which is a tedious and long journey, and expensive too,” said Kajan.
The federal government may have announced billions of allocation for Sarawak in the annual budget, but the remote regions are still without even the basic facilities like concrete bridges.
Kajan said the Long Apu villagers are not the only ones affected by the bridge collapse.
There are school kids and teachers in SK Long Apu and the other schools in the upper reaches who need to cross Sg Paong regularly to travel, he stressed.
“The rainy season is already starting.
“Very soon, Sg Paong and other interior rivers will rage with swift currents and the villagers will be unable to travel in their boats.
“If the bridge across Sg Paong is not rebuilt now, thousands of people living in Long Apu and beyond will be totally cut off during this coming ‘landas’ (monsoon) season,” said Kajan.
He called on the state authorities to urgently look into the natives’ predicament.
Long Apu is located in the upper section of Baram district, about 300km inland from Miri city. – The Vibes, October 8, 2022