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‘Most longhouses have power, water supply’

BALINGIAN: Most of the Iban longhouses and villages in Balingian constituency now have access to electrify, treated water and good roads, disclosed Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal. As such they had no reasons to support the opposition candidate whom he described as ‘outsider’, he added. “BN is putting up a well qualified and experienced local candidate in the person of Yussibnosh Balo as our candidate. And if you elect him, he will surely be able to bring more development to your area. “And since his wife is an Iban, he surely will assist you even more,” Shafie said when launching the rural electrification scheme (RES) at Rh Umin, Sg Liok, here yesterday. There are around 3,800 registered Iban voters in Balingian out of the total 13,366 registered voters. He added that the government had spent RM1.7 mill for the RES in the area which had benefited about 360 people from five longhouses. The longhouses are Rh Bangan, Rh Manggi, Rh Randi, Rh Kasit and Rh Umin. He also revealed that the government had allocated some RM60 mil for basic amenities for Balingian state constituency from 2010 till 2015. Shafie stressed that under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, the Federal Government wanted holistic development in the rural areas. “We will also implement ways on how to improve the livelihood of the people in the rural areas besides providing the basic amenities like water, electricity and roads,” he said. Among the challenges faced by the government to develop the rural areas are the physical and geographical factors of the rural settlements in Sarawak, he said. “Because of that we are using various methods how to implement basic amenities to isolated settlements especially to the longhouses. For instance, if we want to connect treated water to a longhouse which is hundreds of km away from the water treatment plants, then that is going to be very costly. “So we are coming up with a new technology in water treatment which is using the ‘live-saver’ method where we treated water from rivers or ponds by using ‘nano’ technology,” explained Shafie. As for electricity, he said the government is now using sources from either hydro micro or solar energy. “In some areas we even use wind turbines,” he said. Shafie said he was confident that the people in Balingian would vote for the BN candidate in the coming poll slated for March 29. “Balingian voters are a mature lot. I am confident that they will support us. The PKR slogan such as ‘justice for Anwar’ is not relevant here,” he said referring to the conviction of Pakatan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who was convicted of sodomy by the Court of Appeal recently. Shafie also supported the state government’s decision to bar racial and religious extremists from entering Sarawak as it would ensure continued stability and peace in the state. Meanwhile Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment and Minister of Public Utilities Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan said some 80 per cent of the state’s population in the rural areas had access to the RES and another 90 per cent had access to clean and treated water. He disclosed that under the NKRA, the Federal government had allocated some RM1.7 bil to implement RES and another RM1.7 bilfor treated water. Read more:  http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/03/25/most-longhouses-have-power-water-supply/#ixzz2xhn7GH00

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Another wish fulfilled — upgrading of water treatment plant

MUKAH:The water treatment plant here will be upgraded to meet the increasing demand from local consumers, revealed Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan. Awang Tengah who is also Minister of Public Utilities said the Mukah water treatment plant was upgraded a few years ago but the capacity has reached its limit due to the increasing number of consumers particularly the influx of workers to Mukah due to the rapid industrialisation brought about by Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE). “It was upgraded in the last few years. And I know the need to upgrade the plant. I can’t give you the details capacity off-hand but definitely there is an increasing demand because Balingain sub-district will be connected from here. So there is really a need for us to upgrade the present capacity,” he reiterated. “The present water capacity is not enough to meet the increasing demand of the water supply, and because of that certain areas are facing low water pressure. “Anyway we have a plan to upgrade the water treatment plant in Mukah as well as to improve the distribution of the system here. We are also taking into consideration the latest development here,” Awang Tengah told the media at meet-the-people-session at Kpg Penakub Cina, some 8km from here yesterday. He said the government was also aware of certain parts of Balingian sub-district facing low water pressure. He said besides the needs of the ordinary consumers, the Regional Corridor of Development Authority (Recoda) which is based here had also sought federal funding to upgrade all related infrastructure under its jurisdiction. “I understand that Recoda is also requesting for fund from the federal Government and Mukah is one of the areas under the Sarawak Corridor of renewable Energy (Score). So it is our priority to upgrade our water treatment plant here in Mukah and to increase its capacity,” he said. Better distribution of treated water especially in Balingian sub-district is one of the seven wish-lists of the local people which has been highlighted by The Borneo Post even before the by-election was announced. Awang Tengah has assured the voters in the Balingian that government would look into their needs. Among the seven wish lists, four of them have been answered and committed by the government. These four are: bigger airport for Mukah, a secondary school for Balingian sub-district and a new primary for Kpg Tellian Tengah and an upgraded water treatment plant for the area. Meanwhile, Awang Tengah reiterated that the government had appointed a contractor to build the first phase of the new Mukah Airport. “As announced by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin recently, the new Mukah airport will be implemented in stages. For the first state, the Federal Government has allocated RM133 million for earth-works and the contractor has also been appointed to implement it,” he said. Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/03/22/another-wish-fulfilled-upgrading-of-water-treatment-plant/#ixzz2xhnrjiu9

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Manage water supply prudently, authorities told

  BINTULU: Everybody needs water. As such, those responsible must endeavour to provide adequate, reliable and quality water to all consumers at all times.   Thus, the water rationing in several states in Peninsular Malaysia should serve as a reminder to the water authorities in Sarawak on how important it is to manage water supply prudently all the way from the raw water source to the treated water at the consumer’s tap, said Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.   Speaking at the opening ceremony of the third edition of Sarawak Water Supply Retreat 2014 themed ‘Optimising Demand Management for Water Supplies in Sarawak’ at ParkCity Everly Hotel here yesterday, the Minster of Public Utilities and Industrial Development said it is a fact that water authorities in many parts of the world, including Malaysia, were faced with increasing challenges in terms of quality and quantity of water resources.   “Water scarcity is affecting every continent, brought about by climate change due to global warming, wastage of water and pollution of water resources amongst many other causes,” he said.   Climate change, rapid population growth and urbanisation, industrialisation, water quality, diminishing freshwater resources, non-revenue water and aging infrastructures, he said, are all taking their toll on the water supply systems.   “Whilst our population is rapidly increasing, water resources have remained constant, with the water quality deteriorating due to pollution.   “Therefore, there is an urgent need for improved water conservation, methods for managing water demand and technologies to reduce water wastage,” he said. He pointed out that water demand management has been defined as a management approach that aims to conserve both the quality and quantity of water by controlling demand.   “It aims to increase water efficiency through both wise use and reduction, which in turn will reduce or postpone the need to build more infrastructures such as treatment plants, dams, reservoirs and distribution systems,” he added.   A more holistic water demand management, he said, should cover the management of water demand in all sectors of the state including municipalities, industry, tourism, agriculture, forestry and other activities of importance.   It has been estimated that about 70 per cent of the earth surface is covered by water and less than one per cent of the water on earth can be used as drinking water, therefore it can no longer be taken for granted even in our country which has a tropical climate with very high annual rainfall, he pointed out.   The United Nations, he said, has warned that most of the countries in the world are not yet prepared for the adverse impacts of climate change that are already taking place on a global scale.   The UN report has confirmed that the effects of climate change are already widespread and consequential, affecting water supplies, human health, agriculture and ecosystems among others, he added.   “The Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre in Singapore has predicted that another dry spell longer than the current one as experienced in Peninsular Malaysia is expected from June until October this year, lasting about five months.   “In this situation, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels but be ever vigilant and ready so that we would not be caught off-guard, thus we must be ready to put in place all necessary contingency measures,” he advised.   He also hoped the four-day water supply retreat would produce some good ideas to meet the needs of domestic consumers and industrialisation taking place in Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy. About 90 participants are taking part in the retreat.   Among those present were Assistant Minister of Public Utilities (Water Supply) Datuk Sylvester Entri, Assistant Minister of Public Utilities (Electricity and Telecommunications) Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi and permanent secretary of Ministry of Public Utilities Ubaidillah Abdul Latip. Read more:  http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/04/16/local-news-coming-soon-booking-minits-16-april-33/#ixzz308rKmpfr

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Simunjan to have no more water woes soon

  KUCHING: There is good news for the people of Simunjan especially those who will be celebrating Gawai Dayak this year as they will be finally free from water woes.   The good news was announced yesterday by Assistant Minister of Resource Planning Datuk Naroden Majais. “I am going to push for it (treated water to Simunjan) before Gawai Dayak this year. This will be something special for those who are going to celebrate it,” Naroden told the media at his office at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here yesterday.   The issue of Simunjan water woes has been plaguing the coastal town for a long time and has been hogging the media limelight almost annually especially during dry spells as the town’s water treatment plant could not supply enough treated water to the some 30,000 town dwellers.   The Borneo Post has been following the issue since the Borneo Post Adventure Team (BAT 2013) trip to the town and other coastal towns in July last year.   “With the Sageng Bridge across Batang Simunjan almost completed, in fact we expect it to be completed by July this year, we hope the water mains could be connected across the bridge sooner than that,” Naroden said.   Thus, when the water mains from Gedong is connected to Simunjan across the Sageng Bridge, treated water for Simunjan town would be supplied from both the Slabi water treatment plant in Serian, (via Gedong) as well as from the existing Simunjan water treatment plant.   “For the time being I hope that there will be plenty of rain so that the people will have enough water. I ‘kasian’ (pity) my people,” said the Simunjan assemblyman.   Naroden explained that the delay in the supply of treated water from Slabi treatment plant was mainly due to the construction of an 18km road from Gedong to Simunjan which included two bridges. The whole project costs RM120 million.   “The road has been completed. So is the other bridge crossing Batang Skrang. And both Batang Skrang and Batang Simunjan bridges cost RM40 million each,” he disclosed, adding that the whole project started two years ago.   However, Naroden stressed that to stabilise the water pressure to reach Simunjan, there was an urgent need to build a high-level water tank either at Slabi itself or at Gedong.   “We need the high-level water tank so that there is enough pressure for the water to reach Simunjan as the distance is quite far,” Naroden said, adding that the new water supply from Gedong to Simunjan was using an 18-inch diameter water main.   He disclosed that the water connection project from Gedong to Simunjan cost RM20 million to implement. The project started last November. Read more:  http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/04/16/local-news-coming-soon-booking-minits-16-april-26/#ixzz308s6Klkl

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Entri: Gravity-feed water supply initiative a ‘has been’

  BELURU: DAP’s effort to use ‘Impian Sarawak’ to provide gravity-feed water supply to rural folks pales in comparison with the government’s initiative in providing treated water to the people.   Assistant Minister of Public Utilities (Water Supply) Datuk Sylvester Entri said the DAP was making a big deal out of what they had done with ‘Impian Sarawak’.   “We have already moved on to nano technology, such as Lifesaver M1 filtration system,” he said when launching the system at Rumah Ramba in Sungai Liam, Bakong, and Rumah Abon in Tinjar yesterday.   He said the government could easily implement gravity-feed system by providing materials such as pipes to the local community, but this was not a tangible long term solution.   “DAP’s rural push to provide gravity-feed water by just providing pipes is merely replicating what we have done a long time ago. They are merely aimed at gaining political mileage.”   A single unit of Lifesaver M1 unit, he pointed out, could provide clean drinking water for 20 households. This project comes under the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development.   Some 80 of such systems would be implemented in 78 longhouses and settlements in Marudi constituency, where Entri is its assemblyman.   Meanwhile, Entri urged the ministry to reconsider its distribution criteria. For instance, he said, longhouses having between 35 and 38 doors ought to be given two units of the system. “What is another few doors short of 40 when compared to practical rural needs in Sarawak.” He also said it would be more practical to provide the individual jerry can filtration system instead of the current single unit system.   “These individual jerry cans can be brought from inside the individual ‘bilek’ (room) to the source of water in the river or to farms.”   On the Lifesave System, Entri advised its recipients to maintain it well in order to prolong the lifespan of the filtration system.   “Good management at village or longhouse level is critical for system to last.”   A spokesman from the contractor, Dr Rajiv Bhanotn, said up to 540,540 gallons of water from rainwater or other sources could be treated by the nano filtration system. It is safe for drinking without cooking. Read more:  http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/04/13/entri-gravity-feed-water-supply-initiative-a-has-been/#ixzz308spP3V9

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Murum water at minimum operating level

KUCHING: The 944 megawatt (MW) Murum hydroelectric project (HEP) is expected to be fully operational by early next year, says Sarawak Energy’s vice-president (Hydro Section) Polycarp Wong. He said impoundment of dam had now reached its minimum operating level of 515m (above sea level).   “This is certainly a key milestone for the Murum HEP impoundment. Thanks to good rainfall, the impoundment is well ahead of schedule.   “This is the level (515m) where there is, theoretically, sufficient water volume to begin operation of the HEP. Our team is currently preparing for the testing and commissioning of the turbines.   “We expect the HEP to be in commercial operation in early 2015,” Wong said yesterday.   Serving as one of the power sources for the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE), Murum HEP is set to provide clean and renewable energy to all Sarawakians, as well as SCORE’s customers.   The project is also expected to spur development in the surrounding areas by providing better connections, education, healthcare, infrastructure and amenities to the indigenous communities living along the reservoir of the HEP.   Work on the RM4 billion Murum HEP started on Oct 1, 2008, while its impoundment was carried out on Sept 21 last year.   Murum HEP Dam is the second mega-dam project after the Bakum HEP Dam. It is located about 70km upriver from Bakun HEP Dam, which started transmitting power on Aug 6, 2012. Read more:  http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/04/11/murum-water-at-minimum-operating-level/#ixzz309Bvy2Wq

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Awg Tengah in Dubai for investment meeting

KUCHING: Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan recently led an entourage to attend the fourth Annual Investment Meeting at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.   A press statement issued from Dubai said Awang Tengah, who is also Public Utilities Minister and Industrial Development Minister, attended the three-day meeting upon the invitation of United Arab Emirates Economy Minister Sultan Saeed Al Mansoori.   Those in the state entourage included Assistant Minister of Industrial Development (Investment and Promotion) Datuk Julaihi Narawai, State Planning Unit (SPU) director Datu Ismawi Ismuni, Ministry of Industrial Development permanent secretary Datu Liaw Soon Eng, Ministry of Public Utilities permanent secretary Ubaidillah Abdul Latip and Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation (STIDC) general manager Datu Sarudu Hoklai. Also present were officers from STIDC, SPU, Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) and the Ministry of Public Utilities.   The meeting, which started on Tuesday, ends today. Read more:  http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/04/10/awg-tengah-in-dubai-for-investment-meeting/#ixzz309DMh5r2

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Murum hydro electric project impresses delegates from UKAS, federal agencies

KUCHING: A delegation comprising the Public-Private Partnership Unit (UKAS) in the Prime Minister’s Department, federal agencies and the Regional Corridor Development Authority (Recoda) visited the Murum hydro electric project (HEP) recently.   Leading the 20-member delegation was UKAS deputy director-general (Policy) Dato Badaruddin Mahyudin, who was accompanied by Recoda’s CEO Datuk Amar Wilson Baya Dandot and senior officials from JKR and Sarawak Energy. Among those from Sarawak Energy were its general manager (Planning & Strategy) Alvin Lim, and senior manager (Hydro Owner’s Project Management) Kueh Lak Tee. The April 23 visit was an educational tour for the delegation in which they were briefed by project director Frankie Chin and his team on the Murum HEP development, including its resettlement exercise.   After the briefing, they were given a tour around the dam site, which included the dam crest, spillway, Ecological Power System (EPS) and power house.   The visitors were impressed with the progress and on-going works at the dam, especially with the infrastructure and facilities provided under the resettlement exercise.   There were a number of queries, particularly on the resettlement programme, which the delegation felt was implemented well by Sarawak Energy.   They acknowledged that the resettlement programme had been put in place, and main concerns like basic infrastructure, amenities, education for both adult and child and the villagers’ health tackled.   The delegation admitted this was not an easy feat as it would take some time to get the people to settle into their new environment and experience the sustainable benefits that come from this.   Aside from the compensation package, the villagers are given continuous assistance to help them adapt to their new life.   This includes initiatives such as the Home Garden Programme, which is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Agriculture and Sarawak Energy, and the Murum Penan Literacy programme. These community development programmes were meant to give the affected equal access to development.   The delegation expressed their gratitude to Sarawak Energy for welcoming and allowing them to visit the Murum HEP.   UKAS’s mission is to drive economic transformation through strategic public-private partnership based on integrity, innovation and value for money principle for the well being of the people.   Prior to this, the visitors attended a briefing on the progress of Murum road by JKR at its site office at the junction of Bakun/Murum road. Read more:  http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/05/03/murum-hydro-electric-project-impresses-delegates-from-ukas-federal-agencies/#ixzz31rg7Fc2E

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Water tanks ‘life savers’ for longhouses

MARUDI: A total of 35 longhouses in the Poyut-Lubok Nibong area have received 1Malaysia Life Saver water tanks.   In total some 80 longhouses in the Marudi state constituency now have the water tanks, while in the Telang Usan constituency there are 135 longhouses with the facility.   Assistant Minister of Public Utilities (Water Supply) Datuk Sylvester Entri Muran said the water tanks provide water that is safe for consumption to the longhouse communities.   “The Life Saver water tanks are a continuation of work done by our former Baram member of parliament Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan. Those longhouses which have not received them this time will receive them in stages,” he said when launching the water tanks at Rumah Baran Abong, Lubok Nibong, around 35km from here.   Meanwhile, he called on the people of Poyut-Lubok Nibong and Bakong to reject the Democratic Action Party (DAP), which is attempting to influence rural communities. He said the DAP is trying to deceive the people with gravity feed water projects, which the government has already implemented through the Health Department.   Entri and Baram member of parliament Anyi Ngau later announced a grant of RM100,000 to build a car park in front of the longhouse, RM13,000 for the Rumah Baran village security and development committee to purchase ceiling materials and RM10,000 for the Sarakup Indu Dayak Sarawak (SIDS) Rumah Baran sub-branch. Read more:  http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/04/27/water-tanks-life-savers-for-longhouses/#ixzz31rhssrVk

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Elektrik lebih konsisten di Baram

MIRI: Penduduk di kawasan pedalaman Baram akan menikmati bekalan elektrik yang lebih konsisten dengan peruntukan tambahan yang diumumkan oleh Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak ketika lawatan ke Long Silat, baru-baru ini.   Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Telang Usan Dennis Ngau memberitahu, pengumuman berkenaan menunjukkan bahawa kerajaan tidak pernah mengabaikan rakyat di kawasan pedalaman dan mengambil berat terhadap keperluan mereka. “Ini menunjukkan kerajaan persekutuan prihatin dengan keperluan rakyat di luar bandar dan bersedia untuk membantu meningkatkan sosioekonomi penduduk terbabit,” jelasnya ketika dihubungi semalam.   Menurut Dennis, penduduk akan menikmati bekalan elektrik yang lebih baik memandangkan pada masa ini kebanyakan penduduk hanya bergantung kepada jana kuasa (generator).   Malahan katanya, dengan peruntukan yang diberikan bagi membekalkan tenaga elektrik, ia akan lebih meringankan beban penduduk kerana tidak perlu bergantung kepada jana kuasa yang memerlukan penggunaan minyak diesel yang mahal dan hanya mampu bertahan kira-kira enam jam pada waktu malam.   Dalam pada itu jelas Dennis, dengan peruntukan tambahan berkenaan, penduduk di kawasan itu turut akan menikmati akses jalan yang lebih sempurna.   “Dengan peruntukan tambahan itu, kita akan mempertingkatkan jalan yang lebih baik khususnya jalan raya yang menghubungkan kawasan pedalaman Baram dengan Miri bagi memudahkan penduduk sekitarnya menggunakan kemudahan jalan yang ada,” katanya.   Jelas Dennis, perjalanan kira-kira sembilan jam melalui jalan balak untuk sampai ke Miri amat memakan masa dan kos perjalanan yang mahal.   “Oleh itu, dengan menaik taraf jalan balak itu nanti, ia akan lebih memudahkan perjalanan, mengurangkan masa dan kos perjalanan,” ujarnya sambil menambah kerja-kerja naik taraf jalan berkenaan akan disegerakan dan dijangka siap dalam tempoh dua tahun.   Selain itu katanya, Perdana Menteri turut memberi jaminan bahawa kerajaan persekutuan menyokong dan membantu cadangan Telang Usan dijadikan sebuah bandar baharu.   “Untuk mencapai kemajuan dan pembangunan berkenaan, masyarakat luar bandar khususnya kawasan pedalaman Baram perlu bekerjasama dan menyokong kerajaan khasnya melalui program atau aktiviti pembangunan yang dijalankan agar kita dapat bersama menikmati pembangunan yang berterusan,” katanya. Read more:  http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/06/06/elektrik-lebih-konsisten-di-baram/#ixzz34C8TMxhC