The Never Ending Potholes Stories in JB, Jalan Berlubang (3)

Workers, for a week, are now making external toilet near the mango tree beside the kitchen of My house.
There is a deep cave in spot, more than a foot, at the front corner of  the house.

Having seen motorists involved in accident and death, because of unavoidable but should-be-covered potholes by MBJB, I shudder to think what the corner of My house can attract - fatal fall, the least.

I had reminded My Husband to tell the workers to help covering the pothole with the cement they were and are going to mix again, but they seemed to be reluctant, beyond their scope of work.

If it is their family members were to be injured at the pothole where they were reluctant to cover, what they are going to say to themselves?
How they are going to appease their troubling conscious?
Don't they live their lives with regrets?

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Residents Anxious Over A Deep Cave In Spot At Taman Ungku Tun Aminah
by Steven Chen

A deep cave-in hole has caused a major concern for the residents in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah. Despite filling up, the hole seems to cave in deeper, when ever the drains overflow during a heavy downpour

A three metres deep cave-in hole along a road shoulder in Jalan Laksamana 3, Lorong 4, Taman Ungku Tun Aminah is causing a lot of anxieties to the residents.
A resident who has been staying in the area for over thirty years, Mariamah Farid, 65 said she is feeling jittery and uneasy with the cave-in road shoulder which occurred just beside the corner of her house.
She said that the frequent overflowing of the drain and minor flooding after a heavy downpour may have resulted in the cave-in.
Komunitikini was told that, ever since the drain in the area has been covered with concrete cover which is meant to prevent water overflowing from the drain, the cave-in worsens.
Just two weeks after the contractors covered the drain, they came to fill-up the cave-in hole but after five days of filling up, the same spot started to caving in again. Said Mariamah.
Adding further, she said that her son went and took a measurement on the caved-in hole and was shocked that it was three metres deep.
She is worried some nasty incident may happen to her children and grandchildren who used to play outside the compound of the house if the caved-in hole is left open like that.
She said she had contacted JKR about the matter and was asked to refer to the local authority that is responsible for the drain maintenance.
Taman Ungku Tun Aminah is under the administration of Perbandaran Johor Bahru Tengah.
Mariamah did call the local authority several times but all her calls went into a voice recording system.
Meanwhile, the local authority said that they will follow-up on the matter.

Source: KomunitiKini - April 14, 2011

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Local Authorities: Potholes Drive Residents Potty
M. NAIR, Johor Bahru, Johor
letters@nst.com.my

Some residents patch up potholes in housing estates themselves.

JOHOR Baru is a city with a great deal of history as it was established in 1855 and gained city status on Jan 1, 1994. It has undergone vast development but the state of the roads is a blight to motorists. The wet weather towards the end of January certainly proved how inferior they were.

Since then, nothing much has been done by the city council to improve the situation. It just does patch-up work.

It is surprising that it allows this situation to remain when all the affected stretches are within city limits and it doesn't have any reason to point the finger at the Public Works Department.
Many complaints have been made but it seems that the city council is immune to this. Its standard answer is that it had not been notified or that it would look into it.

Because of the council's inaction and out of frustration, some residents in housing estates patched up the potholes.

What is the point of having a colourful and informative website with abundant avenues for the public to complain when it cannot address basic complaints promptly?

Source: NST - March 22, 2011

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Pothole That Cost A Llife
By TEH ENG HOCK

JOHOR: It cost a life to get a pothole patched up.
Tan Cheng Ming, 20, was riding pillion on a motorcycle last Friday at 4am when the machine hit a pothole that was about as wide as a manhole and 5cm deep.
The impact caused Cheng Ming to be thrown off the motorcycle, and he sustained head injuries upon landing. He was rushed to the Sultan Ismail Hospital but died there.
His friend, Tam Tok Wei, 20, who was driving, escaped with minor injuries while the motorcycle was barely damaged except for some scratches and a bent front wheel.
Cheng Ming’s father, Robin Tan, said the Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) patched up the pothole in Jalan Daya, Taman Daya, about two days after the accident.
“When there is a loss of life, only then will they act. We have to bring this up to the authorities, because we don’t want others to lose their loved ones, too.
“The street lights along that road are also not so bright as they are shaded by trees, so the rider might not have seen the pothole at night,” Tan told The Star.
The 53-year-old taxi driver said that with the exception of highways, many roads in Johor Baru are riddled with potholes.
Tan said they had started planning for Cheng Ming’s 21st birthday celebration next month when the accident occurred.
“Twenty years of love, and just like that, because of other people’s mistake, my son paid with his life,” he said.

Danger to road users: A photo of the pothole in Jalan Daya, Taman Daya in Johor Baru which the motorcycle Tam and Cheng Ming were riding hit last Friday.

Source: The Star - Friday, August 24, 2007

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Complaints On Potholes Pour In For JB Council 

JOHOR BARU: The telephones at the Johor Baru City Council are ringing off the hook with the public calling in to complain about potholes after The Star highlighted Panjang, the pothole patcher.
City council public relations officer Lokman Sulaiman said the number of calls to the council’s hotline had gone up following news reports last month about a 63-year-old man who went around covering up potholes in the city. He declined to give his name, merely calling himself Panjang.
“We received 12 calls today from people complaining about potholes,” Lokman said.
He said the hotline, which was set up 10 years ago, received about 150 complaints each month.

HOLE-Y TASK: Workers hired by Johor Baru City Council patching up potholes along Jalan Merdeka in Kampung Melayu, Johor Baru.

Meanwhile, Panjang, who has become a local hero of sorts, need not go about his back-breaking tasks much longer. Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said the city council should bear the responsibility of maintaining the city's roads.
“We appreciate what he has done, but he should be relieved of what he is doing,” Ghani told reporters yesterday.
However, Ghani stopped short of saying whether Panjang would receive an award from the state government in recognition of his efforts.
Repair works have accelerated following public complaints about potholes.
The task is divided into three phases. The first stage began in December last year.
“Every phase is divided into three zones – the city, the western and eastern zones,” Lokman said, adding that the council had already spent RM1.2mil to patch up potholes around the areas under its jurisdiction.
“We allocated RM200,000 to every zone.”
The city zone covered roads such as Jalan Wong Ah Fook and Jalan Abu Bakar, while the western and eastern zones covered roads in housing areas along Jalan Skudai and Jalan Tebrau, respectively.

Source: The Star - Thursday, February 9, 2006

***I was out of the gate to get some cooked food for the workers this afternoon.
I did not intend to cook, as We had a place to go, and I have yet to finish yesterday's jackfruit in coconut milk and fried chicken.
It is not nice to give them what they ate yesterday, so I bought Mayong (???) fish in chilli and pumpkin in coconut milk.

I've got the surprise of My life. 
The pothole I mentioned, and other smaller ones, were all covered. 
Not with cement and gravels, but gravels and sand.
I asked My Husband if He did it, but no, the answer. 
He did go out to attend to it Himself, after the last time I spoke about it, and He found out all, big and small, were covered. 
He had completely forgotten to tell Me, though.

Did anybody hear Me out? 
Or another Panjang around My area? 
So, this is going to be the last of "The Never Ending Potholes Stories in JB, Jalan Berlubang?" 
GOD Willing.

To you, the good-hearted being, THANK YOU SOOO MUCH!!!  

The Never Ending Potholes Stories in JB, Jalan Berlubang (2)

Family Sues JB Council, Mayor Over Son's Death

JOHOR BARU: A couple yesterday filed a suit against the Johor Baru City Council and the city's mayor over the death of their son who was killed when he was flung from a motorcycle after it hit a pothole two years ago.
The accident occurred in Jalan Daya in Taman Daya here at 3am on Aug 17, 2007.
Tan Cheng Ming, then 20, was riding pillion with a friend.
Tan suffered severe head injuries and was rushed to Sultan Ismail Hospital.
He, however, succumbed to his injuries the same day at 8.50am.
His friend who rode the motorcycle escaped with minor injuries.
Tan Nguang Chiang, 55, a former taxi driver, and his wife Kok Yoke Hing, 54, filed the suit at the Sessions Court naming the city council and the mayor as first defendant and second defendants respectively.
The claim stated that the accident had occurred due to the negligence of the local council and the mayor for not doing enough to patch up pothole-riddled roads in the city.
The couple are claiming special damages amounting to RM5,680 for funeral expenses and miscellaneous costs incurred in transportation to hospital and lodging police report.
They are also claiming for general damages amounting to RM134,400 which is RM700 per month for 16 years.
The couple claimed that Cheng Ming was working as a cook earning a monthly salary of about RM1,400 out of which he contributed RM700 a month towards household expenses.
The couple is represented by counsel Norman Fernandez, who later told reporters that he had written numerous letters to the council on behalf of his clients for an amicable settlement of the case.
He said the council, however, declined to respond, which prompted the filing of the suit.
Tan said nothing could bring his son back but there had to be closure on his death so that the family could move on with their lives.

Source: New Straits Times, January 22, 2009

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Johor Bahru, the southern gateway to Malaysia, sure has its authorities on their toes.
But visitors greeted with potholes, is authorities all-ready on their toes?
Good job done?
The road conditions is sure to entice all first-time visitors.
It will be marvelled and remembered, especially by first timer, spending their time in JB.

Potholes of all sizes, tantalise the adrenalin of those raring and daring adventurous blood, but not the subtle ones.
Worst still, if greeted by streetlights along most roads which are seldom lit.
It is not earth hour all year round.

This man, fed up with the never ending trivial issues that had become mountain, took thing in his hands.

Mission To Fix Potholes   

JOHOR BARU: Fed-up with the increasing number of potholes all over the city here, especially during the recent rainy season, one man has stepped forward to make a difference.
The man, who wanted only to be known as Panjang and did not want to reveal much about his background, has taken it upon himself to cover up potholes wherever he finds them.
“I am fed-up with the increasing number of potholes around the city which poses a danger to motorists.
“I have no problem doing this sort of work. Anyway, it is for the good of the people,” he said, adding that he decided to act as the authorities were slow in repairing the roads.

CONCERN FOR MOTORISTS: Panjang filling a pothole with stones and pebbles on a busy road before sealing it with cement in Johor Baru Friday.

The 63-year-old man rides around on his bicycle looking for potholes, which he first fills with stones and pebbles and then seals with cement. The man, who claims to have been covering potholes for the past two years, has also risked his life many times covering holes in the middle of the road without proper signage.
Recently, a motorist knocked into his bicycle, which he had parked behind a car, while patching a hole along busy Jalan Maju.
“Some people think that I am a mad man and have scolded me for doing this,” he said.
The number of potholes around the city has increased, especially during the recent rainy season. The holes have also brought traffic to a crawl, especially during peak hours.
Some of the affected stretches are Pasir Gudang Highway, Jalan Ayer Molek, Jalan Tampoi, Jalan Tebrau, Jalan Bakar Batu and the roads near the Larkin bus station.
Motorist Azlan Affandi Saufee Affandi, 22, said he spends RM200 every two months on wheel alignment and balance due to the potholes.
“I have tried many times to avoid them but some are just too wide,” he said, adding that it was frustrating driving around the city.
Another motorist, Fadhilah Mohd Khalid, 22, a private college student, said the road near her home in Desa Skudai was pitted with potholes.
“It is like the road has been hit by a meteor shower,” she said.

Source: The Star - Saturday, January 21, 2006

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Support Pours In For JB Pothole Patcher 

JOHOR BARU: Odd-job worker Panjang, who has become a folk hero of sorts in this city for his determination to cover every pothole he sees, is surprised at the attention he is getting and the support of well-wishers who give him cement to help in his patchwork.
The 64-year-old man also received food and two bicycles to help him move about.
“I am overwhelmed by these gestures. I am just a simple man who is trying to do my bit to prevent accidents,” he said while patching up more holes yesterday.

FOR A NOBEL CAUSE:Panjang fixing potholes along Jalan Maju in Johor baru using his bare hands.

“I got at least two bicycles and food from people in recent weeks,” he said, adding that he has given away one bicycle to a friend who needed it. Panjang, who had earlier refused to talk much about his background, said he came from a wealthy family in Penang.
He said he was a businessman once and had worked in Singapore for almost 25 years.

Panjang: Received cement, food and two bicycles.

“My uncle, who died some time ago, inspired me to do good for others,” he said. Panjang, wearing a tattered T-shirt and pants, also makes a living selling Chinese health magazines.
He speaks fluent English.
Last month, The Star reported that Panjang, who declined to disclose his real name, had taken it upon himself to cover potholes wherever he found them as they were posing danger in the streets.
Once while he was patching a hole along busy Jalan Maju, a motorist knocked into his bicycle that he had parked behind a car.
Panjang, who claimed to have started his crusade against potholes two years ago, had risked his life many times covering holes in the middle of the road without proper warning signs.
He said he has done odd jobs that allowed him to know the right mixture of sand and cement to use in sealing potholes.
He could not tell how many potholes he had sealed so far but said: “I have patched up many potholes around Jalan Maju, Jalan Serampang and Jalan Perang.”
With hands full of scars and a set of stained teeth, Panjang said while some people had warmed up to him, some continued to ridicule and throw insults at him.
“This will not deter me from carrying out my task and I am more determined,” he said, adding that he never asked for anything in return for his service.

Source: The Star - Tuesday, Februaury 7, 2006

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The company that is awarded with pothole patching, sure, with employing Panjang, part of a solution is reached.

At least at places where Panjang  is able to reach with his bicycle around Taman Sentosa, the company can rest assured that there is no pothole that is awaiting death on that road.  

The Life Threatening Road

Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination is here again.

A few years back, I was travelling in the morning when I saw a student's body was laying motionless on the pavement of the busy Jalan Tebrau. The motorcycle he rode had hit one of the many potholes which the city is famous for - Jalan Berlubang (Pothole Road).

I did not know who he was but I know he's a student in school uniform who's going to sit for his final exam in secondary school.

I did not know which school he's in but I know the invigilator would not want him to miss his paper. As a teacher, the very least we can hope in a student is to try.

I did not know who the parents are but I know for sure they will be very devastated with the death of their son. Their hope would be dash if they pinned too much of it in him.

I did not know who's responsible for all the potholes but I know those people responsible must be deaf with all the cryings of many, many, many accidents because of them.

Those people must be blind being the reason they did not see the need to attend to the cryings.

People like me can only hope, hope and hope that nobody's children, spouses, family members, friends or neighbours will fail to see the many potholes that HAVE TO BE on Jalan Berlubang.