KIULU: “During the dry season, the road is dusty, and during the rainy season, it becomes pothole-ridden.” This sentiment reflects the frustrations of the residents of Mantob Tengah, who have been waiting for decades for the approximately half-kilometer road leading to the SDA Church in Mantob to be upgraded or paved.
Gundohing Justin Gosibin, a resident of Mantob Tengah, said hat numerous appeals have been made, including verbal requests, but these efforts have been largely ignored.
“I have personally remained patient and silent for many years, yet there are no signs of improvement for the village road connecting to the SDA Church from the main road.
“Today, I express my deep disappointment with this ongoing situation.
“Therefore, we earnestly appeal to the current elected representative to heed the people’s concerns and upgrade this road before the upcoming state elections,” he shared in his latest social media post.
Former Mantob Village Chief Midin Lobintang said that during his tenure, he had proposed the upgrading of the junction from the main road to the SDA Mantob Church, as well as the nearby Hanging Bridge, to enhance the safety and comfort of schoolchildren crossing that route.
“I observed that this road could only be covered with gravel. I was also informed that other village leaders from Mantob had requested for the road to be upgraded, with some even submitting appeals directly to the Sabah Ministry of Rural Development. Unfortunately, all these efforts have not yielded any results,” he remarked.
Midin believes it is time to balance tourism development in Kiulu with the provision of basic needs and infrastructure for the benefit of all parties involved.
“I feel that the road leading to the SDA Mantob Church is less than 1 kilometer, yet it is extremely difficult to upgrade. The road to the Tolong Church has already been paved.
“Nevertheless, we hope that with the substantial budget allocation for development in Sabah this year, we in Mantob Village can receive a share of this development, ideally before the upcoming state elections at the end of the year,” Midin expressed, conveying his sentiments through the lyrics of the well-known song “Carila ia (laksanakan lah) selagi ada waktu.”
Meanwhile, Henry Saimpon, Vice President of the Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat (KDM), also expressed full support for the appeals made by the residents of Mantob.
He stated that the villagers’ requests are indeed justified, as the road they seek to have paved is also under 1 kilometer in length.
Henry emphasised that this is the time to demonstrate the success of the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) slogan, rather than merely using it as a rhetorical phrase.
