BINTULU: Residents of Rumah Bakom Ligong at Mile 74 Bintulu-Miri Road are living in fear for their safety for almost a year due to a landslide which occurred behind their longhouse.
Residents asked that the drain at the back of the longhouse be deeper and enlarged to allow easy and smooth flow of water to prevent erosion during heavy rain and flash floods.
TR Bakom Ligong
According to their longhouse chief TR Bakom Ligong, they had reported the problem to the authorities on Dec 30 last year but till now no solution had been forthcoming.
“We are living in fear everyday that the landslide would happen again during heavy rains and flash floods,” he said.
In fact, he elaborated, the problem had been highlighted many times including in the media.
“It worries us because last Tuesday another landslide occurred at the back of our longhouse.
“I have lodged a police report on the incident and hope that the local authorities will look into our problem and give us solution,” said Bakom.
The 117 residents from 14 families of the 14-door longhouse were previously ordered to move to a community hall in Batu Niah by the Social Welfare Department for safety reasons but they refused to do so.
“We were ordered to move out by the Welfare Department, but all of us were reluctant because that is the only settlement we have and the best thing is for the authority to find ways to prevent the occurrence of landslides,” he added.
He suggested that the drains behind the longhouse be dug deeper and enlarged to allow easy and smooth flow of water and the hill side be reinforced with a concrete wall to prevent the recurrence of landslide.