KENINGAU: The construction of the Tenom–Pangi road should be expedited to improve the safety of residents in the interior as well as educators who have long relied on train services as their primary mode of transportation.
Former SK Pangi headmaster Yazid Mohd Hasnan Tawik @ Charles voiced support for the call made by State Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister and Melalap Assemblyman Datuk Jamawi Jaafar for the project to be fast-tracked.
Yazid, who is also a Supreme Committee member of the Sabah Former Educators Association (PMPS) and chairman of the PMPS Keningau District Liaison Committee, said a recent train incident involving teachers from SK Pangi, which reportedly experienced brake problems on Tuesday, highlighted the urgent need for a safer and more reliable alternative route.
“Residents and the school community in Pangi have limited transportation options.
Their safety cannot continue to depend on a single mode of transport that is vulnerable to technical issues and challenging terrain,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.
Yazid, who served as headmaster of SK Pangi for nine years, said he personally experienced commuting by train daily with teachers and pupils, where safety was always a major concern.
He also recalled an incident involving a landslide in Rayoh that forced them to walk nearly six kilometres along the railway track to reach Tenom town.
He expressed hope that the Public Works Department would expedite the implementation of the project, which was approved by the State Government in early 2025, noting that a contractor had reportedly already been appointed.
