SERIAN: All 68 villages and communities in Kedup constituency are now accessible by surfaced roads and connected to the main electricity grid.
Kedup incumbent Datuk Martin Ben said the improvements are among the most significant achievements in the constituency over the past five to 10 years.
He said road accessibility and electricity coverage had reached 100 per cent, providing rural communities with better connectivity and round-the-clock electricity supply.
“All my 68 villages or communities can be easily reached by motorable roads, and all are surfaced roads.
“I can confidently say that all the villages in my constituency are reachable by road, and they are all surfaced. So, 100 per cent.
“In terms of electricity coverage, all the villages in my area are connected to the main electricity grid, meaning they have a 24-hour supply. That is also 100 per cent,” he told Sarawak Tribune.
On water supply, Martin said approximately 90 per cent of the main reticulation network had been completed, with the remaining section between Kampung Sungai Aping and Kampung Sungai Paoh still pending implementation.
He said the outstanding section was initially scheduled for implementation this year but was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances.
“We hope that it can at least be tendered in the first quarter of next year,” he said.
Martin clarified that the 90 per cent completion rate referred only to the main reticulation network and did not mean all households had received individual water connections.
He said some households are still awaiting meter installation, while others submitted late applications or are undergoing assessment by the Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB).
He added that connections in larger villages are being implemented in stages, while some households had yet to submit applications due to insufficient awareness of the process.
“Some already have connections, some are still waiting for meters, and some probably submitted their applications late.
“All these complications will definitely delay the full implementation because the last mile normally involves individual households,” he said.
Martin also acknowledged complaints over water supply disruptions in the constituency, although he said JBALB is making efforts to improve service reliability.
“We admit that, but I think the department is trying its best to minimise the frequency of it,” he said.
Martin first won the Kedup seat in 2011, succeeding the late Datuk Frederick Bayoi Manggie, who had represented the constituency for three terms from 1996 to 2011 under Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).
He secured 6,476 votes in his electoral debut, defeating three challengers from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Sarawak National Party (SNAP) and an independent candidate.
He retained the seat in 2016 with 5,769 votes and a majority of 3,828 in a three-cornered contest against Democratic Action Party (DAP) and Parti Bangsa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB) candidates.
In the 2021 Sarawak election, Martin secured his third consecutive victory with 5,178 votes, representing 63.3 per cent of valid votes, in a four-cornered contest against Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB), Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) and DAP candidates.
