The Giant in Rimba
In my new job, I am just beginning to discover new things. One, I did not realise that there will have to be lots and lots of walking. Two, my predecessors talk about bringing work home and I was thinking over the last 2 days, there is more than ample time to complete everyday's work. It was today I realised that the second thing, because I will be doing lots and lots of walking, there ain't enough time for me to do the work in the office. Anyway, I was accompanying the TM visiting houses in Lambak Kanan and Rimba.
The state of some houses especially in the first phase of the housing resettlement development is quite bad. I thought to myself, somone ought to be screwed for this screw up. Apparently it was explained that the contractor was not entirely at fault. Some of the concrete problems were due to water usage. In the late 1970s and early 1980s when development started, there was no piped water in the area and the contractor applied and received permission to use river water. But river waters can get salty especially during the dryer season when the saltier water would get into the river. Hence when used to build concrete, caused concrete to crack in the long term. Salty waters were at first even thought to be good for concrete especially in those years. So the government has been repairing houses and even destroying too badly damaged houses.
We visited the Rimba Housing and I was quite impressed with the newer two storey design. We also dropped into the new Giant Hypermart and that I have to admit impressed me more. The hypermart will be around 140,00 square with an additional 40,000 square feet for the mall. It will be the biggest in Borneo when it opens in March. There are about 600 spaces for cars, so that should give us ample parking spaces. The Management said they need around 1,200 workers of which 90% will be local. They have adertised in all the press as well as accept walk ins. So if you know of anyone looking for a job, you know where to go.
The state of some houses especially in the first phase of the housing resettlement development is quite bad. I thought to myself, somone ought to be screwed for this screw up. Apparently it was explained that the contractor was not entirely at fault. Some of the concrete problems were due to water usage. In the late 1970s and early 1980s when development started, there was no piped water in the area and the contractor applied and received permission to use river water. But river waters can get salty especially during the dryer season when the saltier water would get into the river. Hence when used to build concrete, caused concrete to crack in the long term. Salty waters were at first even thought to be good for concrete especially in those years. So the government has been repairing houses and even destroying too badly damaged houses.
We visited the Rimba Housing and I was quite impressed with the newer two storey design. We also dropped into the new Giant Hypermart and that I have to admit impressed me more. The hypermart will be around 140,00 square with an additional 40,000 square feet for the mall. It will be the biggest in Borneo when it opens in March. There are about 600 spaces for cars, so that should give us ample parking spaces. The Management said they need around 1,200 workers of which 90% will be local. They have adertised in all the press as well as accept walk ins. So if you know of anyone looking for a job, you know where to go.
Comments