MIRI – Sarawak PKR deputy chairman Senator Abun Sui survived a serious accident along the pothole-riddled Bakun Road near Bakun Dam deep in central Sarawak last night.
The pickup truck he was driving was upended after it hit potholes in a waterlogged section of the road. It turned upside down before veering off the road and ploughing into the bushes.
Luckily, Abun escaped without any injuries along with several passengers who were his party colleagues, he told reporters here today.
"I was driving carefully, at only 70km per hour from Bakun to Bintulu town last night.
“However at KM65 of Bakun Road, my vehicle flipped over after hitting potholes while navigating waterlogged parts of the road.
“I was driving at only 70km per hour and yet such a serious accident can happen.
“I am lucky to be alive, and so too, my colleagues but I found out from Bakun locals that recently there were two deaths from similar accidents along Bakun Road.
“The bad road conditions in interior Sarawak have already caused many deaths.
“The relevant ministries and departments at both federal and state levels must pay urgent attention to such road problems that have been the norm for decades in Sarawak,” he said.
Sui, who is also Sarawak Pakatan Harapan information chief, said he was in Bakun to put in the groundwork to meet the grassroots natives.
He thanked God that he and the others in his vehicle survived without any injuries.
“The Public Works Department must go to Bakun Road and repair the damaged parts urgently,” he said.
Sui is a native of Belaga district which is home to the Bakun Dam.
The Bakun to Bintulu road is 200km long.
It was built back in 1996 during the start of site construction of the mighty Bakun Dam.
The Bakun Road has been plagued with potholes, erosion and landslides at many sections over the years, mainly due to overuse by timber logging trucks as well as plantation lorries that use the road daily. – The Vibes, September 10, 2023
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