SIBU (June 18): The relevant authorities should give the public clear updates on the current status of the Rantau Panjang Jaya restoration project.

Democratic Action Party (DAP) committee member Stanley Chiew said the landslide at Rantau Panjang Jaya, which occurred five months ago, had taken a heavy toll on the residents staying at the affected stretch.

“Residents are still looking for answers but to date, there is still not development taking place, no updates, and everything just came to a standstill. Right now, they are all completely in the dark.

“The 38 residents affected by the landslide are still waiting in vain, hoping every day for reconstruction to begin so they can eventually repair their homes and return to their lives,” he told reporters during a site visit yesterday.

Chiew said the residents wanted to know when the restoration project would begin, what stage it was in, how long it would take and when it would be completed.

“Before the Hari Raya celebrations, the relevant authorities visited the site and publicly pledged emergency funding had been approved. They promised restoration work would begin immediately after the festive season.

“However, even the Gawai Dayak festival has come and gone; the site remains completely silent with no signs of construction and no official updates whatsoever.”

He said they also wanted to know when the lighting at Jalan Teku would be fixed.

“The landslide caused the closure of Seventh Lane’s main exit, which significantly disrupted the daily commute for local residents. However, they have no choice but to rely solely on Jalan Teku for access.

“However, this road lacks proper lighting, leaving it pitch black at night. On top of that, potholes frequently appear, posing a serious safety risk — if an accident or closure occurs along Jalan Teku, residents here will have no other way to get out. If an emergency happens, help will be delayed and the situation could become very serious,” he said.

Chiew said what was even more disappointing was that the affected area falls under the Nangka constituency, which is represented by Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee, and as a high-ranking official in the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) administration, he should actively work with the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) to get things moving.

He said Deputy Minister of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Datuk Michael Tiang also had an obligation to step in and coordinate efforts.

“Unfortunately, I have seen no proactive measures taken by any GPS state ADUNs/YBs in response to this issue, even though they are all part of the Sarawak government.

“Let me stress this clearly — the SDMC and its implementing agencies operate under the Sarawak government and the five GPS ADUNs in Sibu — Nangka, Pelawan, Bukit Assek, Dudong and Bawang Assan — have a responsibility to care for the people living here.

“Although this area falls under Nangka, the residents living here come from many different voting areas including Nangka, Pelawan, Bukit Assek, Dudong and Bawang Assan. They bought houses and moved here, but their voting address remains in their original constituencies,” he said.

As such, he said elected representatives should not use constituency boundaries as an excuse to avoid responsibility.