Utusan Malaysia
11-3-2002
Pada 15 September 1995, sebuah pesawat MH2133 jenis Fokker 50 kepunyaan Malaysia Airlines telah terhempas di lapangan terbang Tawau, Sabah mengorbankan 34 orang daripada 53 orang penumpang termasuk anak kapal. Nahas kapal terbang yang paling dahsyat dalam sejarah penerbangan Malaysia ini telah membuka mata semua pihak tentang perlunya sebuah lapangan terbang yang lebih panjang landasannya. Maka, 6 tahun selepas nahas Fokker 50, Lapangan Terbang Tawau yang baru yang menelan belanja RM228.34 juta telah beroperasi pada 1hb. Disember 2001.
Permintaan untuk pembinaan Lapangan Terbang Tawau yang baru telah disuarakan oleh penduduk Tawau lama sebelum nahas ini berlaku. Akan tetapi permintaan tersebut tidak diberikan perhatian yang serius. Oleh itu, apabila berlakunya satu tragedi ngeri yang mengorbankan 34 orang barulah cadangan ini diterima. Mahu tidak mahu kita terpaksa menerima hakikat budaya kita yang hanya akan mengambil sesuatu tindakan drastik setelah suatu tragedi berlaku. Kita cukup masak dengan pelbagai tragedi yang melanda negara ini sebelum sesuatu keputusan diambil sedangkan kita semua maklum bahawa pencegahan jauh lebih mujarab daripada pengubatan.
Mimpi ngeri penduduk Tawau belum lagi reda dengan Lapangan Terbang Tawau yang baru ini. Dengan beroperasinya lapangan terbang Tawau yang baru, babak hitam nahas F50 telah dilupakan orang. Akan tetapi, penduduk Tawau kini dihantui pula oleh kebimbangan baru.
Bagi menampung peningkatan lalulintas dari Bandar Tawau ke Lapangan Terbang Tawau yang baru sejauh 30KM, sebuah lebuhraya ‘double-carriage’ sedang dalam pembinaan. Lebuhraya yang menelan belanja RM88.2 juta ini dijangka akan mengatasi masalah kesesakan lalulintas di sepanjang Jalan Apas, jalan yang menghubungkan Tawau dengan Lapanagan terbang baru. Ia juga akan mengurangkan masa yang diambil dari Tawau ke Lapangan Terbang Tawau baru.
Apa yang menjadi kebimbangan rakyat Tawau ialah kerja pembinaan lebuhraya yang bermutu rendah serta pihak kontraktor yang tidak bertanggungjawab. Contohnya, tidak pernah berlaku dalam sejarah pembinaan jalanraya yang memperlihatkan jalan yang baru sahaja dibina dikorek dan ditampal berkali-kali. Kerja-kerja mengorek dan menampal yang terbelengkalai telah menyebabkan banyak kemalangan jalanraya dan meragut banyak nyawa.
Isyarat dan tanda jalan juga mengelirukan dan tidak diletakkan di tempat yang sesuai. Banyak jalan yang diletakkan betul-betul di hadapan sesuatu simpang tanpa memberikan masa yang cukup kepada pemandu mengetahui keadaan jalan di hadapan.
Ketua Polis Tawau sendirian mengakui kekeliruan isyarat jalan merupakan salah satu punca utama berlakunya kemalangan jalan raya seperti yang dilaporkan dalam akhbar Sea Hua Daily News pada 4hb. Februari 2002. Bayangkan kereta polis sendiri terlibat dalam kemalangan jalanraya disebabkan oleh kekeliruan tanda jalan.
Selain daripada itu, “lori hantu” atau “off-road” kepunyaan kontraktor juga dibiarkan berkeliaran dan menggunakan jalan raya yang sepatutnya dikhaskan untuk pengguna jalan raya. Pergerakan kenderaan pada kedua-dua belah lebuhraya tambah mengelirukan para pengguna jalan sedangkan hanya sebelah jalan sahaja dibuka kepada orang awam. Tanda jalan yang mengelirukan telah menyebabkan lalulintas sepanjang jalan ini tidak terkawal.
Kelalaian, kecuaian, kualiti kerja yang rendah serta sikap tidak bertanggungjawab kontraktor telah menyebabkan tidak kurang daripada 30 nyawa terkorban semenjak pembinaannya. Walaupun angka mangsa jalan raya dikumpul daripada kemalangan yang berlainan tetapi angka yang tinggi ini sudah cukup untuk menarik perhatian pihak berkuasa untuk mengambil tindakan yang segera agar tidak ada lagi mangsa baru terkorban.
Suatu perkara yang amat menyedihkan ialah semasa kunjungan Menteri Pengangkutan, Dato’ Seri Dr. Ling Liong Sik ke Tawau baru-baru ini, kemalangan di sepanjang lebuhraya ini langsung tidak dibangkitkan. Lebih menghairankan ialah kegagalan Menteri Pengangkutan sendiri memerhati mutu jalan serta isyarat jalan yang mengelirukan. Adakah kerana lawatan menteri semata-mata untuk mencari tapak sesuai mendirikan kampus cawangan Universiti TAR maka perhatian beliau tidak ditumpu kepada jalanraya yang sepatutnya menjadi urusan utama beliau walau di mana beliau berada?
Adalah satu rahsia yang diketahui umum bahawa projek pembinaan lebuhraya ini telah dialibabakan. Kontraktor yang ditawarkan kontrek langsung tidak mempunyai sebarang pengalaman dan kelengkapan. Sub-kontraktor hanya melekatkan label syarikat kontraktor utama bagi mengabui mata awam. Rata-rata juga mengetahui bahawa salah seorang pengarah dalam syarikat kontraktor utama mempunyai hubungan politik dengan menteri pengangkutan. Adakah dengan hubungan dan pengaruh tertentu maka keselamatan rakyat serta kualiti kerja boleh diabaikan?
Kami dengan ini meminta kerajaan menjalankan penyiasatan segera terhadap mutu kerja yang rendah dan sikap kontraktor yang tidak bertanggungjawab. Jika perlu, pihak Pencegah Rasuah juga perlu menyiasat hal ini. Janganlah kita menunggu tragedi baru berlaku untuk kita bertindak. Kita sendiri atau orang kesayangan kita mungkin menjadi mangsa kelewatan tindakan kita.
Kempen keselamtan jalanraya akan menjadi sia-sia jika penyelewengan pembinaan jalanraya dari awal lagi tidak diendahkan oleh mana-mana pihak yang berkuasa.
Monday, March 11, 2002
Mishap Along Jalan Apas Tawau
11-3-2002
As reported in the local dailies recently, the stretch of new highway linking Tawau and the New Airport has claimed 16 lives, so far. We are all sadden by this shocking news.
We strongly feel that if precautions were taken these lives could have been saved. Nevertheless, even after the shocking news been highlighted in the news papers, no immediate actions were taken both by the contractor nor the authorities concerned.
Observations on the stretch of road shows that there were no proper nor sufficient warnings to direct traffic. Temporary road signs put up were gone within a short while. Other road signs have been misleading and this further aggravated the already bad situation.
It is the responsibilities of the contractor to ensure that road open to public vehicle is safe to travel. Therefore, the road must always be maintained irrespective of whether it is still under construction or not. The safety of the public must not be compromised just because the road is still under construction.
The contractor and the authorities concerned must also ensure that road open to public vehicle is safe. Since this is a 4-lane highway, one must ensure that at least one side of the road is safe to be opened to public before working on the other side. By opening an unsafe side of road while working on the other is certainly uncalled for. The excuses of rushing for dateline is totally unacceptable.
Off-road heavy vehicle was also found to roam the stretch of roads open to public. This further endanger the safety of road users. The authorities must ensure that the said contractor adhere strictly to rules and regulations and must keep all this off road vehicle away from the general public at all times.
We are also disappointed that the contractors and the authorities concern do not consider at all the pleads of the people living on both side of the highway. Certain stretch of road at mile 8 and 8 ½ was piled up even higher which is unnecessary. At the same time, by lifting the road near Kinabutan has badly affected the people living around there especially the business community. They are now facing and uncertain future and the way the highway is constructed has badly affected their business.
Residents here have complained that there were insufficient u-turns along mile 4 – 6. As there are four schools, namely SMK Jalan Apas, SK Batu Empat, SMK Kinabutan and SRJK (C) Chung Hwa situated along this stretch of road, the inadequate u-turn will create massive traffic jam during peak hours in the morning, noon and evening. The heavy traffic coming from Tinagat will add up to the jam. Such will surely defeat the purpose of the highway which among other things to provide a smooth, safe and fast travelling from Tawau to the New Airport.
We are in no way objecting to the construction of highway nor do we anti development. But we strongly feel that contractor and the authorities concerned must be more caring and willing to listen to the plead of the people. There is no way rushing for the highway but scarify many innocent lives. So far the new highway has already claim 16 lives. I thus ask the contractor and the authorities concerned what are they gong to do to these 16 innocent lives who are victims of carelessness and irresponsibility?
I hope the people of Tawau realise how serious this matter is and must stand up to object to such ‘tidak apa’ attitude. Please do not wait for more catastrophes to happen. Please do not wait for more lives to be taken before we do something. We, or our love ones are all users of the highway. I hope the police will investigate these cases thoroughly and appropriate actions be taken against those responsible. Safety of the public must always be the utmost priority.
We also urge the general public using the new highway to drive carefully.
As reported in the local dailies recently, the stretch of new highway linking Tawau and the New Airport has claimed 16 lives, so far. We are all sadden by this shocking news.
We strongly feel that if precautions were taken these lives could have been saved. Nevertheless, even after the shocking news been highlighted in the news papers, no immediate actions were taken both by the contractor nor the authorities concerned.
Observations on the stretch of road shows that there were no proper nor sufficient warnings to direct traffic. Temporary road signs put up were gone within a short while. Other road signs have been misleading and this further aggravated the already bad situation.
It is the responsibilities of the contractor to ensure that road open to public vehicle is safe to travel. Therefore, the road must always be maintained irrespective of whether it is still under construction or not. The safety of the public must not be compromised just because the road is still under construction.
The contractor and the authorities concerned must also ensure that road open to public vehicle is safe. Since this is a 4-lane highway, one must ensure that at least one side of the road is safe to be opened to public before working on the other side. By opening an unsafe side of road while working on the other is certainly uncalled for. The excuses of rushing for dateline is totally unacceptable.
Off-road heavy vehicle was also found to roam the stretch of roads open to public. This further endanger the safety of road users. The authorities must ensure that the said contractor adhere strictly to rules and regulations and must keep all this off road vehicle away from the general public at all times.
We are also disappointed that the contractors and the authorities concern do not consider at all the pleads of the people living on both side of the highway. Certain stretch of road at mile 8 and 8 ½ was piled up even higher which is unnecessary. At the same time, by lifting the road near Kinabutan has badly affected the people living around there especially the business community. They are now facing and uncertain future and the way the highway is constructed has badly affected their business.
Residents here have complained that there were insufficient u-turns along mile 4 – 6. As there are four schools, namely SMK Jalan Apas, SK Batu Empat, SMK Kinabutan and SRJK (C) Chung Hwa situated along this stretch of road, the inadequate u-turn will create massive traffic jam during peak hours in the morning, noon and evening. The heavy traffic coming from Tinagat will add up to the jam. Such will surely defeat the purpose of the highway which among other things to provide a smooth, safe and fast travelling from Tawau to the New Airport.
We are in no way objecting to the construction of highway nor do we anti development. But we strongly feel that contractor and the authorities concerned must be more caring and willing to listen to the plead of the people. There is no way rushing for the highway but scarify many innocent lives. So far the new highway has already claim 16 lives. I thus ask the contractor and the authorities concerned what are they gong to do to these 16 innocent lives who are victims of carelessness and irresponsibility?
I hope the people of Tawau realise how serious this matter is and must stand up to object to such ‘tidak apa’ attitude. Please do not wait for more catastrophes to happen. Please do not wait for more lives to be taken before we do something. We, or our love ones are all users of the highway. I hope the police will investigate these cases thoroughly and appropriate actions be taken against those responsible. Safety of the public must always be the utmost priority.
We also urge the general public using the new highway to drive carefully.
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