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KOTA MARUDU, Feb 02, 2013: A new bailey bridge will be built to serve 10 villages at Simpangan, near here, which is often cut off during rainy season.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili said the bridge was needed as vehicles often could not pass the river at Kg Simpangan during high tide, leaving the village folks stranded.

The installation of the Bailey Suspension Bridge would commence as soon as possible, he told the village folks during the opening of the RM150,000 new suspension bridge build over the river to replace the old one that was damaged.

Ongkili said that the government cared about the needs of the rural people and in the case of the Suspension Bailey Bridge, the federal government approved funding within weeks for a brand new bridge after the old was one was damaged.

“The people’s needs are plenty but the government will make all efforts to improve their lives with focus on urgent needs such as these steel bailey bridge that are needed for them to commute daily.

“This once again proves that we deliver what we promise unlike the opposition who are only good at taking pictures of the bridge and making wild promises to give the people everything they need,” he said.

These are several initiatives undertaken, including increasing the number of housing for the poor, special programmes to provide financial assistance for the poor as well as bringing basic rural infrastructure and economic activities to them, he said.

“In rural areas including Kota Marudu, it is evident that the people’s lives have been touched by the initiatives of the government which aims to make tomorrow better than today for everyone,” he said.

At the same event, he also symbolically handed over the key to a recipient of a house under the Programme Bantuan Rumah for the village and also handed hampers to old folks in the village.

Earlier, Ongkili attended an event in the sub-district of Matunggong where 800 school children received school bags, water containers and stationary that were provided by the state Community development and Consumer Affairs Ministry.