Jepak rep urges urgent action over worrying rise in Bintulu dengue cases

BINTULU (July 29): Jepak assemblyman Iskandar Turkee has sounded the alarm over a worrying rise in dengue cases at several localities in Bintulu, calling for urgent and collective action to prevent the situation from spiralling into an outbreak of dengue haemorrhagic fever.

“Kampung Baru has already recorded 46 dengue cases, while Kampung Sinong has five.

“Although no cases of dengue haemorrhagic fever have been reported yet, we must not wait until lives are lost,” he said during the gotong-royong activity in Kampung Sinong on Sunday.

A long-time resident of Kampung Sebiew himself, Iskandar called on the local community and government agencies to join forces in maintaining a clean and mosquito-free environment.

“We all have a role to play. Clean surroundings are our first line of defence against mosquito breeding. I urge the Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) to place proper waste disposal bins in residential areas so people can throw away household waste responsibly,” he said.

He also issued a stern reminder against littering in rivers, warning that those caught dumping trash could face fines from the Sarawak Rivers Board.

Iskandar further highlighted the urgent need for BDA to upgrade the drainage system in Kampung Sinong and nearby villages to prevent stagnant water, a notorious breeding ground for mosquitoes.

“Preventive measures are always better than a crisis response. Let’s act now before dengue claims lives,” he added.

Beyond physical clean-up, the programme also aimed to raise public awareness about the importance of environmental hygiene and the need for proactive vector-borne disease prevention.