The highly-publicised ‘buffalo ambulance’ issue at Kampung Niatang, Pitas, Sabah is a grim reminder to all Malaysians as to how badly the state’s interiors are being managed by BN.

As fellow Sabahan, I feel very ashamed and angry with what I have seen and read because while the state BN leaders live luxuriously, the indigenous Sabahans in the Interiors are being left to their own devices.

The question that now requires the immediate answer from our state BN leaders is, ‘did anyone from that village (Kampung Niatang) previously approach any of the government’s agents or officer for the construction of the badly needed road’?

If the answer is yes, then why did the government delay its construction in view that we have some of our BN leaders enjoying sealed roads leading up to their houses on hilltops?

While BN obviously tries to portray the ‘buffalo ambulance’ issue as an ‘isolated’ case, this unfortunately depicts the painful reality which the indigenous Sabahans living in the interiors have to endure every day.

Even the Moyog constituency, which is located merely 13km from Kota Kinabalu, is not being spared.

The only road access connecting the villagers in Terian and Buayan (which are located deep in the interior of Moyog) is the infamous ‘jalan kayu balak’ accessible only by four-wheel-drive (4WD) vehicles despite having more than 1,000 people living in that area.

Previously, the villagers had to trek on foot - crossing river, hills and valleys for almost four hours - to get to the nearest public transportation services that will carry them to Donggongon town.

And it is only by the determination shown by the villagers in Kampung Terian/Buayan together with several notable NGOs in Penampang that the ‘jalan kayu balak’ leading to that villages had been repaired.

There is no difference between Kampung Niatang and Kampung Terian/Buayan; both desperately need proper road access.

And how about other places in the interiors in Sabah that are populated by the Rungus, Kedayan or Lundayeh communities which may never been known of by outsiders or being highlighted in the social media?

Drinking muddy water next?

Or perhaps in the future, we might see another picture of villagers in the interiors of Sabah drinking muddy water because the government delayed the installation or replacement of worn out high density polyethylene (HDP) pipes connecting the gravity water sources to the villagers’ houses?

I believe the villagers in the interiors of Sabah understand the procedure; they know that they will need to approach beforehand their respective JKKK chairpersons/ketua kampung as the agents for the government for the settlement of issues which relates to their well-being, before coming out in the press.

Whatever it is, the BN-led state government must now ensure that proper development of infrastructures and utilities are taking place in all the interiors places of Sabah.

Don’t wait for any more humiliating publication such as the buffalo ambulance; mobilise all the ketua kampung and JKKKs to identify which areas need assistance or development.

After all, it is their responsibility to do so as the trustee of the consolidated funds worth billions of ringgit, more commonly known as the taxpayers monies.

TERRENCE SIAMBUN is Sabah PKR information chief and assemblyperson for Moyog.