Tenom: Residents of Kampung Rundum and the surrounding villages called on the Government to monitor the construction of the 31-kilometre Kemabong-Rundum road, which is significantly behind schedule.
Spokesperson Rusili Tampisan
(pic) said the Government, through relevant departments and agencies, particularly the Public Works Department (JKR), must conduct inspections to identify the cause of the delay.
He said the project, which commenced on March 24, 2022, was scheduled for completion by March 24, 2025.
However, it remains unfinished, with less than half of the stretch having been paved.
“Due to the delays, residents of Kampung Rundum and nearby areas are facing hardships when transporting agricultural produce and travelling to Kemabong and Tenom towns for business,” he told Daily Express.
Rusili, who is the Chairman of the Rundum Community Tourism, said teachers serving at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Rundum are also struggling to commute along the construction site as the road becomes slippery and muddy during the rainy season.
Rusili said local tourism, which has been increasingly attracting domestic and international visitors, is being disrupted.
Certain sections under construction have become impassable.
“Recently, a group from the United Kingdom who wished to go birdwatching, including seeing the wildfowl we have tamed in the forest, had to cancel their plans because the muddy and slippery road was inaccessible,” he said.
He said although the village community is actively developing the tourism sector in Kampung Rundum, progress has stalled due to the road issues, adding the construction of forest-themed homestays is currently on hold as building materials cannot be easily transported.
“Tourists are unable to visit and NGOs wishing to organise activities in Kampung Rundum have also been forced to stay away,” he added.
Furthermore, he said the electricity supply has been affected by the delays, as many utility poles have been relocated within the construction zone.
As such, Rusili stressed that the relevant authorities must take drastic measures to address the backlog.
He believed the delay might be due to a shortage of machinery on the contractor’s part.
“We have observed that the contractor’s machinery is dwindling and some equipment has even been moved out of the site,” he said.
