KUCHING: The Padawan Road project’s realignment is one of the reasons for the delay in the implementation of the Puncak Borneo Water Supply Phase II project, said Datuk Willie Mongin.
The Puncak Borneo MP said the pipeline way line can only be designed or decided once the project is completed because it may have to follow the road alignment.
He said the pipeline way line had to be located along the legally granted strip of land, adding that until the road project is completed, they would not know where to lay the pipeline.
“The ongoing construction of Padawan Road is one of the reasons for the delay. Now, they have to wait for the new road alignment to be completed before they can lay the new pipelines,” he said at the handing over of the gravity-feed water supply project site to the contractor at Kampung Sitang near here on Friday.
The Padawan Road upgrading project is currently in its first phase, involving a 14.9-kilometer stretch from Tapah to the Teng Bukap Junction, and is expected to be completed by Aug 15, 2026, under a rescue contractor.
Willie said the Puncak Borneo Water Supply Phase II project will cover 18 villages: Kpg Petag (70 houses), Kpg Sitang (59), Kpg Bangau (48), Kpg Pesang (74), Kpg Subang (118), Kpg Bukit Nanas (44), Kpg Semeru (48), Kpg Plaman Dunuk (117), Kpg Padus Stubot (23), Kpg Bisira Rayang (39), Kpg Senah Raya (99), Kpg Rudan (29), Kpg Danu (70), Kpg Begu (95), Kpg Nusaraya (21), Kpg Biya kemas (53), Kpg Parang (63), Kpg Assum (39).
He said most of the villages are accessible through Padawan Road.
He added that other reasons for the long delay include changes in government procurement policies, and difficulties related to local protest and community concerns related to land matters.
The RM129-million project was originally approved in 2017 but was cancelled by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government under Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s tenure.
The project, however, was reinstated in 2019 following Willie’s appeal.
Willie said the 18 villages he mentioned earlier currently rely on the untreated gravity-feed system for water.
He said except for three villages, all have consistent water supply from the gravity-feed system.
“The three villages that are facing inconsistent water supply are Kpg Petag, Kpg Sitang and Kpg Bangau, all along the Mambong-Sarig Road.
“They normally face water shortages during a dry spell because the dams at the water source get dry,” he said.
Willie said the Puncak Borneo Water Supply Phase II project is crucial because it will resolve the problem of having to rely on untreated water, which might be usable for them, and inconsistency in water supply.
He said upon the full implementation of this Phase II project, all villages in Puncak Borneo will be connected with treated water supply.
“No, it’s not that they (the 188 villages) don’t have water. They have water but the water is untreated, supplied through the gravity feed system, not from Sarawak Water or the state Rural Water Supply Department (JBALB).
“Once the road is fully completed, we are going to have 100 per cent coverage of treated water in Puncak Borneo,” he added.
There are 218 villages, including gardens, in Puncak Borneo.
Willie said based on the figure he has, less than 20 per cent of the villages in Puncak Borneo are still relying on gravity feed or have not been connected with treated water supply.
On another matter, he informed that JBALB is also in the midst of doing a mini-water treatment plant in Kpg Bengoh, which was launched by Minister for Utility and Telecommunication, Datuk Sri Julaihi Narawi.
He said this mini plant will cover Kpg Jambu, Annah Rais and villages in the surrounding area.
Also present at the handing over of the Kpg Sitang gravity-feed project site was JBALB assistant divisional engineer Siet Ung Wu and Kpg Sitang Ketua Kaum, Joseph Merot Nyokin.
The project, which cost RM100,000 will complement the existing system.
The components include the installation of six water tanks, each having a capacity of 400 gallons.
It is scheduled for completion within two months.
