RESIDENTS of a village in Miri, Sarawak, have been enduring a lack of clean piped water for more than 40 years, with no resolution to their predicament in sight, reported Harian Metro.
Village representative Matu Dawi said that residents of the Tukau Parabena Resettlement Scheme are compelled to depend solely on alternative sources of water to meet their daily requirements.
He said residents were forced to rely on purchasing bottled water for daily use, as well as rainwater, river water and well water.
“The situation is more critical during the dry season when natural water sources such as rainwater become scarce, while some rivers are nearly dry.
“Any remaining water sources are untreated and insufficient to meet the daily needs of residents,” he told the daily.
Matu lamented that some residents are forced to rely on untreated water for drinking and other daily uses, posing a health risk.
When contacted, Lambir assemblyman Datuk Ripin Lamat said the village’s piped water system has been completed but could not be connected due to an ongoing land dispute.
He added that Sarawak Water was instructed to deploy water tankers as a temporary measure for the village.
> A growing craze for blind boxes among children and teens has raised concern among parents, as the trend strains household finances and encourages poor spending habits, Kosmo! reported.
Several parents expressed concerns about their children becoming increasingly fascinated with mystery toy boxes, a trend popularised on social media.
They added that limited-edition mystery items can cost up to hundreds of ringgit per box.
Roslina Alias, 36, said she is worried as her nine-year-old daughter has gone to extreme lengths to save money so she can buy blind boxes almost weekly.
“My daughter is even willing to skip meals at school just to save money to buy blind boxes.
“If her savings are not enough, she will ask me to top up the balance,” she said.
Roslina added that her daughter has become obsessed with the blind boxes.
“She sulks when I deny her request for an RM80 blind box,” she told the daily.
