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MIRI – Pakatan Harapan (PH) is pressuring the works ministries at both state and federal government levels to answer to the public on the sudden collapse of the Sungai Musah bridge in central Sarawak, stressing that the structure had cost RM55 million of taxpayers' money to build.
Sarawak PH chairman Chong Chien Jen said the state and federal works ministerial leaders have been keeping too silent on the incident that took place on September 21.
Chong, who is also Sarawak DAP chairman and Stampin MP, said that two weeks of silence is unacceptable.
"It is time for public accountability as this Sungai Musah Bridge project had cost RM55 million and yet it suddenly broke apart and collapsed on September 21.
"The bridge is located in Kapit district and ironically the Kapit MP is (federal) Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi," he said in a statement.
Chong noted that the bridge was built less than ten years ago.
"The public wants to know the actual reasons behind the failure of the structure," he said. "So far none of those in position of responsibility for the project have given any proper detailed explanations.
"That is unacceptable to the public as the bridge project had cost RM55 million of public money," he said.
Chong added the bridge's collapse has affected a large population of people. The matter needs full public disclosure without any more delays from both the state and federal authorities.
On September 21, the bridge that served as the only link for thousands of rural natives in central Sarawak with the outside world had collapsed, cutting off a sizeable population of longhouse folks and school students from accessing their way out, except by boat.
It was the only access on foot and by road vehicles to link the interior of the Kapit-Song districts to the outside world.
There are longhouses, primary schools, government clinics and many farms inside the upper reaches beyond the bridge,
The Sungai Musah Bridge was located across the 166-metre wide Sungai Musah in Kapit district.
Nanta had on September 22 said that the bridge broke apart late at about 9pm the night before following serious earth movements due to erosion of the ground.
"It has broken into two parts and the Public Works Department had sealed off the bridge. No one can pass through anymore," he had said.
He also said that he had asked the department in Sarawak to repair the structure. It has been reported that it has plans to build a temporary bailey bridge (iron bridge) nearby.
Interior Sarawak have thousands of rivers and their tributaries where bridges are the only link connecting one side to the other, enabling vehicles to pass through.
There are numerous rivers where ferries are used because of the absence of bridges, especially in those places where the rivers are too wide.
The lack of good bridges is one of the complaints that some grassroot folks had conveyed to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong when was in the state for a land tour of the Pan Borneo Highway last month. – The Vibes, October 6, 2023
