KUANTAN: The furore over a man and his son risking their lives by using a broken suspension bridge in Kuala Lipis to get the boy to school has been attributed to a misunderstanding.
Jelai assemblyman Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail, commenting on a viral video which showed the man and his son dicing with danger, said the authorities had actually prepared alternative transport options for the villagers of Kampung Pamah Aur near Bukit Betong.
Wan Rosdy said he met the boy’s father, Abdul Jalil Sulaiman, 41, to find out why they opted to use the bridge.
The assemblyman said, although the alternative road in the village had been submerged due to floods, the Village Development and Security Village Committees (JKKK) had prepared boats for the villagers.
"It is a minor misunderstanding. Maybe the mother was in high spirits to send the child to school. However, I would like to emphasise that the issue has been sorted out. I reminded Jalil that safety has to always be our top priority,” he said.
Wan Rosdy said work to repair the bridge will begin on Jan 8.
“We hope the weather will clear up enough to allow us to get the job done," he said.
Meanwhile, Abdul Jalil apologised on behalf of his wife, who had uploaded the video on the social media.
The father of four said he has heard Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy's explanation on the status of the repair works.
"I heard everything and I am satisfied with the explanation. I would also like to apologise on behalf of my wife," he said in a video clip, which showed the assemblyman seated beside him.
Wan Rosdy confirmed that an offer letter has been issued to a contractor to repair the suspension bridge, which was damaged during the floods early last year. The repair work is expected to be completed in March this year.
The video of father and his son putting their lives on the line by crossing the collapsed suspension bridge has since gone viral on social media.
It is learnt that the boy was on his way to attend pre-school at Sekolah Batu Yon, Bukit Betong. However, since the road in the village was hit by flash floods, the boy’s fathera decided to use the broken bridge.