KOTA KINABALU – Repairs will be done on the dilapidated suspension bridge at Kg Nelayan Tengah, said Sabah Works Minister Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin today.
He said he has ordered the Sandakan Municipal Council to fix the suspension bridge, as it is not under the Public Works Department purview, which is an agency under Bung’s ministry.
“The government is taking this matter seriously as it involves schoolchildren’s safety,” said the deputy chief minister in his WhatsApp reply to reporters.
A photo taken by Bernama of the badly conditioned Kg Nelayan Tengah suspension bridge had gone viral on Monday, when children had to cross it to get to SK Sibuga Besar.
Earlier today, the Sandakan Municipal Council and the Public Works Department closed the bridge and declared it as unsafe.
A non-government group provided and installed planks on the suspension bridge before the closure, while Bersatu Libaran MP Datuk Zakaria Mohd Edris and Sungai Manila State rep Mokran Ingkat said they had sent officers to evaluate the situation.
A “gotong royong” was also held to repair the bridge, while reps say they have provided assistance in making immediate repairs.
The Vibes understands that the suspension bridge is a shortcut to a nearby school and other public facilities for the local folks.
The distance would be only over 600m via the bridge, compared to the over 3km journey by road to get to the other side of the river.
Dilapidated and damaged bridges going viral is a regular issue, especially in Sabah, where schoolchildren are forced to risk life and limb to get to school.
Last year, students in Keningau also had to brace steel bars, as bridges when the Tambunan-Keningau bridge caved in due to a landslide. – The Vibes, January 12, 2022
