TAMPARULI: Residents of Kapung Bundung here are wary of their safety when they use a suspension bridge that is rusty and dilapidated.
Although it appears sturdy, the actual condition of the suspension bridge, that traverses the river, is in a hazardous state.
The entire main structure of the bridge including its cables, which are made of iron, has rusted and deteriorated significantly.
This has made it hazardous for users who fear it might collapse.
A local representative, Johnson Johnny, 41, said the bridge was used not only by more than 1,000 residents from five nearby villages but also by over 25 schoolchildren.
For the latter, it is their primary route to attend classes at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Bundung.
"If the suspension bridge is left in this deplorable state, it could pose a risk to the lives of the residents and schoolchildren who use it daily," he said.
The bridge is used by residents from Kampung Bundung, Bintangor, Buleing, Roun, Pitas, Mondou, Sungai Damit, and Sosogohon, as well as employees of the Sabah Rubber Industry Board.
Johnson added that although the matter had been highlighted to the authorities via official letters, there had been no response.
"I wrote a complaint letter, with photos of the damaged suspension bridge, to the Tuaran member of parliament Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau in April, but no action has been taken to repair the bridge.
"The Parent-Teacher Association (PIBG) of SK Bundung, through the Village Development and Security Committee (JPKK) Bundung, also sent a similar letter to inform the authorities of the matter," he said.
The decade-old bridge has undergone maintenance three times, but this did not include the replacement of the main cables, some of which are damaged due to rust.
Among the most significant damage are the severed main cable ties, rotted and broken floor cables, broken floor frames, missing iron floorboards believed to be stolen, and torn side railings.
"The bridge's base is also threatened by riverbank erosion, which could cause the structure to collapse."