GE15: Long Pasia residents hope for better roads
SIPITANG - Over 2,000 residents in a few villages in Long Pasia want infrastructure facilities especially access to better roads throughout the 130 kilometre route from Pekan Sipitang.
The roads would be traversed only by using four-wheel drive vehicles, which took a seven-hour journey.
The village residents were forced to go through the roads with mud, soil and rocks and cross the Maligan River and rivers to Pekan Sipitang.
The access to bad roads caused the residents who were mostly farmers, to have difficulties in bringing their produce to the market at Pekan Sipitang.
Long Pasia resident Makfry Balang, 38, said among the hopes that the government must realise was to build roads that were better for the village residents.
"For a long time in several decades we have achieved independence, but our roads are still the same. We hope for a lot but at least fix the roads we have.
"It doesn't have to be from Kampung Maligan to Long Pasia, for the meantime, it is enough from our neighbouring village that is Kampung Long Mio to Long Pasia for around four kilometres is enough.
“It doesn't even have to be paved, just an upgrade to a concrete road we would be grateful," he said when met by Sinar Harian in Kampung Long Pasia, here, on Friday.
Makfry said the residents have long been promised about the roads however, there were several constraints including that the road land was actually owned by Sabah Forest Industries (SFI).
"There were constraints, but it was hoped that the government could take over the land for the roads to be upgraded," he said.
Kampung Long Mio resident Irni Nuar, 40, said the less-than-ideal road conditions caused them to have difficulties bringing their produce to Pekan Sipitang to be sold in the markets.
"The costs to go to Pekan Sipitang were high which is RM50 just to travel there and reaching up to RM100 for residents who did not have their own vehicle.
"Those who have their own vehicles were forced to cover the high maintenance costs if they go to market their products such as chili, rice and other vegetable crops.
"The roads have to be fixed because this would be the primary access to ease residents into marketing their goods," he said.
For Buas Sia, 70, he was forced to take a rental car service to go back and forth for his hospital visits, he had rented the car much earlier than the health screening.
"To go to the capital is hard, for six years I have to go back and forth for my check-up at a hospital in Kota Kinabalu.
"I was forced to rent a vehicle with high costs for us residents," he said.
Sipitang Parliamentary candidate Datuk Matbali Musah said the road issues in Long Pasia were among the matters that would be raised in Parliament if he became the MP of the area.
"I see the main focus of this area is the roads. The road is the priority and if I was the MP, the issue of the roads would be the first item I bring into Parliament for the government to be solved.
"Because the residents have been waiting for this road to be completed for a long time in Long Pasia, there are many treasures that could be promoted for tourists and so on," he said.
