MIRI: The claim that the government has been neglecting the people of Kampung Nelayan Kuala Bakam here have been proven wrong after the village receives an allocation ofRM670,000 under Rural Transformation Project (RTP) grant.
Lambir assemblyman Ripin Lamat said out of the amount slated for this year, RM200,000 would go to the villages StPaul Chapel; RM200,000 for upgrading Kampung Nelayan-Kuala Bakam Road; RM200,000
for Kampung Nelayan Kuala Bakam Community Hall; and RM70,000 for repair works on boat shelters.
To say that the government, through its elected representative, has been neglecting Kampung Nelayan Kuala Bakam, is a totally baseless allegation, Ripin told the village folk during a briefing yesterday.
According to Ripin, he has been visiting Kampung Nelayan Kuala Bakam since early this year, together with relevant parties, to see the progress of the four said projects.
He was delighted to see that the villagers were aware of the transformation programme and acknowledged that it was meant for their benefits.
Kampung Nelayan Kuala Bakam has been progressing tremendously alongside other villages within the Lambir constituency, where the population comprises mainly fishermen.
As a kampung (village) boy myself, I know how hard it is to achieve success. As such, I laud Kampung Nelayan Kuala Bakam for having retained its identity as a modern Melanau fishing village equipped with its own Tamu Nelayan (fishermens market), enthused Ripin, who is also political secretary to chief minister.
Adding on, Ripin alsohighlighted the completion oftwo projects at the village, namely the RM200,000 wooden bridge linking Kampung Nelayan Kuala Bakam with the main road, and its new Tamu Nelayan also costing RM200,000.
Apart from the RTP grant, an allocation under my MRP (Minor Rural Project) fund has been approved for SK Bakam to hold its educational and motivational programmes, he said, without disclosing the figure.
Meanwhile, a KampungNelayan Kuala Bakam native Okong Sulip, said his village had been enjoying rapid progress over the past few years under the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government.
I have seen the changes taking place here. Nowadays peoplefrom various walks of life, near and far, come to Tamu Nelayan every day to buy fresh fish.
It seems that the wakil rakyat (peoples representatives) are really doing their job, frequently meeting the people on the ground and striving to understand and meet their needs, he said.