SIBU: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Bukit Assek Branch on Friday donated food and other necessities to the six families who were affected by a fire at Jalan Tiong Hua 1 last Thursday.
The branch chairman and also SUPP deputy president II, Datuk Chieng Buong Toon instructed his members to distribute the donations.
SUPP Bukit Assek Branch youth chief Councillor Joseph Chieng and other members presented the donations to the fire victims.
When contacted on Saturday (May 15), Chieng said that his members were very sympathetic to the victims.
He said the Sibu town renewal plan should be expedited to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.
“In less than two months, this kind of incident has happened again. At the end of March, a fire claimed the life of a man not far from here.
“Most of the fire victims are tenants,” added Chieng.
He explained that Jalan Tiong Hua was located in the Bukit Assek constituency and was of the earliest settlements in Sibu.
“Many of the original owners of houses in this area have moved to other places. They rent their houses to outsiders who come to earn a living here.
“The old houses are no longer safe to live in. When there is a fire, these are too close to each other. This area also needs to be redeveloped to create a more conducive and safer environment,” added Chieng.
The fire that occurred last Thursday at around 4.45 am completely destroyed a two-storey wooden terrace house. No casualties were reported in the incident.
The occupants of the house managed to save themselves. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
