THE Sematan-Telok Melano stretch of the Pan Borneo Highway, which was completed in January, has elicited mixed reactions from those whose lives have been inadvertently changed by the new road.

It connects the seaside town of Sematan with the sleepy Malay fishing kampung of Telok Melano that once was only accessible by boat.

The new road has had a tremendous impact – in more ways than one – on Telok Melano’s 300 inhabitants, said villager Mohamad Piee.

“Well, the negative side is that we are now experiencing road accidents like the fatal one that killed a villager when his car turned turtle before landing in a drain,” Mohamad, 62, said when met at his home behind SK Teluk Melano.

Prior to the road, accidents like the one he cited were unheard of as all transportation was by boat, of which they are more skilled at handling.

But apart from the increased number of accidents, the road has also brought some prosperity to the area.

Mohamad, for instance, has stopped tapping rubber to venture into the food business by running a restaurant.

Another benefit of the 33km stretch of road is to bring down the cost of goods in the largely agricultural area.

Villagers once depended on the sea and the vagaries of the weather for their supplies but that’s no longer the case.

“Take, for example, the material used to build this restaurant,” said Mohamad.

“When transported by boat, they were expensive because I had to hire people to carry them onto and off the boat.

“The boat fare is another cost.

“When the road was completed, I just ordered everything from the store in Sematan and they delivered them at no extra cost.”

But for Maria Limbin, life was disrupted by the constant fear of construction works outside her home, especially as her grandchildren would play nearby.

Limbin said because her house was in the way of the highway construction, she has had to build a new home with the RM100,000 compensation.

However, Limbin, 65, and her family are forced to remain in their old house which sits close to the construction site as their new home is yet to be completed.

“They should have prioritised the building of our new home first. But now the house is almost demolished and the new one is not even ready yet.

“We built a small hut instead, deep inside, over the hill. We couldn’t get any electricity because Sarawak Energy says connection could only be made to permanent buildings,” she said.

Her predicament is shared by thousands of homeowners affected by the 780km highway that stretches from Telok Melano at the southern tip of Sarawak to the town of Miri in the north.

The project, according to one of the work package contractors (WPCs) of the toll-free highway, is about 40% complete.

A project site supervisor, Alfred Joko from Kuching, said the project is running smoothly.

“Now we are working on laying gravel on this 270m stretch. In the last two months, we have completed 2km,” Joko said when met at the project site at Musi, near Bau.

The Sarawak stretch of the RM29 billion Pan Borneo Highway is scheduled to be completed by June 2021, while the Sabah portion is currently 12% completed with full completion set for December 31, 2021. – May 23, 2019.