ULU TIRAM: An untarred path resulting in mud, silt and slippery conditions made worse during the rainy season is posing danger to villagers of Kampung Baru Sungai Johor near Felda Ulu Tebrau here.
Villager Muhammad Sam Khamis, 71, said since the village was opened back in 1993, the existing eight kilometre path has never been tarred which has led to a few villagers and settlers having to move because they did not want to risk their lives travelling on the path.
He said that the situation get even worse when it rains because it can get very slippery and there are parts that end up getting submerged.
"Only motorcycles and four-wheel drives (4WD) can get to the village, but even these vehicles end up getting damaged and spoilt.
"Cars and most other vehicles cannot use this path because of the risk of getting stuck in the mud, silt and puddles of water.
"We have been made to understand that the path or passage falls under the Felda Ulu Tebrau management and we are hoping that it can be repaired, upgraded and tarred, where it can also improve and increase agricultural activities here," he said.
Meanwhile Ismail Hashim, 52, said that the state of the path was concerning especially if there is an emergency that happens at night, such as when any of the villagers needed to go to the clinic or hospital for a medical emergency.
According to him, the problem was brought to the attention of the relevant parties four years ago but no action has been taken until now.
"About 350 settlers work on 323 hectares of land here in this village and many want to live here. Sadly, many have moved to other locations because the condition of the path is very, very bad.
"About 80 per cent of families have already moved and now there are less than 10 families that still live here.
"Even though we have moved, as settlers and workers we have to brave going through such a path every day in order to work and it has really stressed us out," he said.
Another villager, Mohd Ali Abd Rahman, 49, said many villagers have resorted to renting in Felda Ulu Tebrau because it is easier and safer for them to send their children to school at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Ulu Tebrau.
"Before this there were cases of parents who fell while sending their children to and from school at SK Ulu Tebrau," he said.
Meanwhile, Mohd Farid Md Yusof, 30, said his Proton Saga ended up damaged from using the road and he was left with no choice but to sell it a few months ago.
"Now I get around by using a motorcycle where I use paths in the palm oil plantation as only motorcycles can pass through to get to the sundry shop or to the main road which takes about 10 minutes," he said.
"I hope the issue is given immediate attention before any untoward and unwanted incidents happen," he added.
Meanwhile, Kampung Baru Sungai Melayu village head Shahdon Abd Wahab said the village was opened in 1993 with 30 settlers.
Shahdon expressed hope that efforts will be made to improve and upgrade the path apart from proposing another alternative path or passage to the kampung.