Mass exodus of members from PBB Kampung Sg Midin

by Asan

KUCHING: A senior member of the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Sungei Midin sub-branch is frustrated at the government for dragging its feet in solving the problems that plagued Kampung Sungei Midin village for so many years.

And he threatened to leave the party if the situation does not getting better soon.

"From my feedbacks, quite a large number of members from our sub-branch would follow my footstep to leave the party."

"However, I can assure PBB especially to Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Fadillah Hj. Yusuf and Samariang Assemblywomen Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali that we would not join any opposition parties but would continue to support the government in other ways."

"The main reason for this 'walk-out' is because I just couldn't withstand the pressures from my fellow villagers for the failure of the government to grant their wishes for basic development things such as electricity. As one of the PBB leaders, I must not wash dirty linen in the public even when they hurl abusive words towards me," he said, adding he was waiting for the right moment to make a public announcement on his 'walk-out' from the party.

"For several years, I have approached almost every PBB YBs, ministers and government agencies to assist us in getting the electricity supply but as you can see, none could help us," he said, despite of this, he was still grateful to YB Fadillah Yusuf and  adding that despite all the hapennings, he was still however, gratefull to Fadillah and YB Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali for their assistance.

"I felt really helpless and frustrated because all the while we have been supporting the BN government to win the election but after that no one appreciate or remembers us," he said.

Kampung Sungai Midin, which has been in existence for more than 15 years, is located in Samariang and has  more than 100 families. 

However, the government could not supply electricity and water into the area because of the status of the land - i.e. state land.

Although YB Fadillah Yusuf held a number of dialogues with the villagers on the issues, they are still unresolved.

He did assist in getting a generator costing RM500,000 for the villagers but after a few months, new problems cropped up when some of the villagers claimed they could not pay the minimum of RM60 per month to cover the cost of the diesel for the generator.

On April 25th, YB Fadillah Yusuf and YB Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali went to the village to attend a dialogue; and a commotion broke out between the villagers themselves when there was a misunderstanding between PBB Kampung Sungai Midin sub-branch chairman Abang Asfa Abang Julaihi and a Parti Keadilan Rakyat supporter.

However, a quick action by the police and RELA members to quickly intervene had avoided untowards incidents to happen on that day.

The dialogue was attended by the representatives from the Land and Survey Department, Housing Corporation, SESCO and Kuching Water Board.

During the dialogue, the villagers brought up several issues involving the land titles, electricity, water supply, roads as well as on the Kampung Sungei Midin's temporary public hall.