Kota Kinabalu: Likas Assemblyman Tham Yun Fook has called on the government to speed up the Tenom-Pangi road project and check the safety of Sabah’s interior railway system after a train on the route lost its brakes.
“This is not a technical glitch but a warning sign that Sabah’s rural interior has been neglected for years,” he said in a statement, here, Thursday.
For the record, the train, carrying teachers from SK Pangi, lost its brakes near Kg Pangi on Tuesday. It was only stopped after villagers threw a motorcycle trolley onto the track, preventing a potentially serious derailment.
Tham said that while everyone is relieved that no lives were lost, the government cannot rely on relief and luck.
“Public safety must be guaranteed through planning, investment and accountability. We cannot rely on luck to protect our children,” he said, pointing out that the government must act before tragedy strikes.
Tham called on the government to set a clear and public deadline for the Tenom–Pangi road, get an independent team to inspect the interior railway without delay, review rural school roads across the State and put in place targets to ensure rural areas are not left behind in development.
“For many people in Tenom and Pangi, the railway is not just a transport option but the only one they have. That makes every breakdown a potential disaster for teachers, students and families who have no other way to travel,” he said.
“In Kuala Lumpur, students ride the LRT and MRT to school. But in Sabah’s interior, children still cross rickety suspension bridges, paddle across rivers or trek through jungle paths just to get to class.
“There is no point in talking about better education if our children cannot even reach their classrooms safely. Poor infrastructure will always produce poor outcomes in the classroom.
“Building a mega highway and holding a big launch does not mean the job is done,” Tham said, adding that development must also reach those living far from the main roads.
He pointed out that Sabah has contributed oil, gas and timber to the nation for over 60 years and its people deserve infrastructure that reflects that.
“Roads to rural schools and clinics are not luxury projects but basic rights. Balanced national growth cannot be achieved if rural communities continue to shoulder disproportionate safety risks.
“The Tenom incident is a warning and not a one-off. We cannot wait for tragedy to happen before we fix this. Every child has the right to get to school safely and that is what infrastructure is about,” he said.
