KUCHING: Fisherman Jamali Uni is excited over the state government’s plan to build affordable housing while it maintains his nearby village, Kampung Salak, as a traditional fishing village.
“With this, my children who work in the city can own an affordable home on the mainland and yet still keep their heritage,” said the 66-year-old at the Kampung Salak Durian Festival here yesterday.
“Now, they are renting in the city because it’s such a hassle to take the 15-minute boat ride off the island.”
The state government plans to extend the village to the mainland by building 320 units of affordable housing at Sungai Tiram and it is expected to be completed at the latest, by next year.
The scheme will also cater for villagers from Pasir Pandak and Pasir Panjang, which were badly affected by erosion.
Other than the unpredictable tides, which make commuting to work difficult, villagers at the 100-year-old Kampung Salak also have to contend with the absence of water and electricity.
The village, which has a population of over 500, has all this while, survived on generators for electricity and water from man-made ponds.
Currently, it is lights out by midnight and dry taps that could last for three months during the dry season.
Conceding that it was just too expensive to provide these amenities, Pantai Damai assemblyman Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi said this was the main reason for the move to extend the village to the mainland.
He hoped to meet with the Rural and Regional Development Ministry on the possibility of supplying treated water to Kampung Salak from the mainland via submarine water pipes.
Dr Abdul Rahman said the Government intended to promote the area for eco-tourism for its marine life adding that it was also known for dolphin sightings and other aquaculture activities.
The island itself, he added, had caves that could prove interesting for archeologists.
“Even now, Kampung Salak has its own homestay programme and because of its unique placing of being an island surrounded by mangroves although within the city area, it’s one of the few closest place a visitor could go to for a fishing village experience,” he added.
