News

Thursday January 31, 2013

Accident waiting to happen

By SHARON LING
sharonling@thestar.com.my


KUCHING: Villagers of Kampung Muhibbah in Pending here want their old and damaged wooden jetty to be repaired or better still, replaced with a concrete one.

Parts of the jetty leading down to the Sarawak River are broken, damaged by erosion and strong waves during high tide.

The jetty is used by some 1,000 villagers in the area, including the 180 pupils of SK Muhibbah who have to use it to cross the river when going to school and back home every day.

The journey across the river takes about three minutes.

SK Muhibbah headmaster Hasbi Dawi said the jetty’s old and damaged condition posed safety risks to those using it.

He said three weeks ago a teacher slipped and fell after stepping on the damaged planks.

“I hope the relevant authorities will take steps to address this matter before more incidents with serious injuries occur.

“They should replace the old wooden jetty with a concrete one, which is more durable and will be safer to use,” he said.

Villager Bakri Muhi, 47, said the wooden jetty was used daily by residents and students of Kampung Muhibbah and Kampung Pinggan Jaya.

He said the jetty was built more than 50 years ago and its foundation was no longer strong.

“This matter needs to be given serious attention in order to prevent mishaps from occurring.

“Otherwise it will get worse and endanger the safety of villagers and students here,” he added.

  • E-mail this story
  • Print this story
  • Bookmark and Share