Angry Bidayuhs from 82 villages in the Bau district  are demanding  that Dr Jerip Susil resign as Assistant Minister of Public Health as he has failed to solve the problems arising from garbage  uncollected since the first week of December 2013.

“The last collection of the rubbish was in the first week of December and has polluted several villages in the area which is also under the Bengoh state constituency of which Jerip is the assemblyman.

“We are concerned about our health,” said Boniface Willy Tumek, whose village of Kampung Sudoh was being polluted by the foul smell.

The sites where the rubbish bins are placed have not only become the haunts of scavenging dogs but are also infested with hordes of flies.

Jerip’s visit to the area was during the parliamentary election in May last year and not seen since then.

Too busy to serve constituents

“He is too busy politicking, and if he cannot perform as assistant minister of public health, then he should resign so that Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud can replace him with someone more proactive where the health of the people is concerned,” said Boniface, who is a Mas Gading PKR division committee member.

He said that Jerip is too involved in  trying to save the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) which is facing deregistration, or trying to form a new party to replace SUPP.

On Jan 9, 2014 the Registrar of Societies gave SUPP a show-cause letter on why the party’s registration should not be cancelled.

“He is more concerned with the possibility that SUPP may be deregistered than to serve the people whose welfare and health under his constituency may be seriously affected,” Boniface said.

He said that the problem  in the district worsened after the appointment of three new contractors to collect rubbish in early December last year.

He claimed that the contractors lacked the equipment to carry out their job while their contract specifies a minimum of two rubbish compactors, they only have one each.

As a result they are unable to meet the twice per week collection of rubbish from every village requirement, he added.

Boniface said: “PRK is very concerned by this serious breakdown in this very essential service because of the potentially negative impact on the health of the villagers, and not to mention the effects on the landscape.

“We urge the Local Government and Community Development Minister Wong Soon Koh and his assistants, including Jerip, to immediately look into this matter to quickly solve the problem.

“We also urge the Bau District Council to re-evaluate their vetting procedures so that the capacity of intending contractors in future could be ascertained before contracts are awarded,” he said.