Bintulu’ Barisan Nasional incumbent, Dato’ Seri Tiong King Sing expressed his satisfaction over the works that had been done on the project, which was restarted January this year after being left abandoned for about four years.

“Based on my personal observation and information from the developer, as well as BPSB officials, I am very confident that this project will not be facing much of a problem to be accomplished,” he told reporters after the visit Wednesday evening.

The project involved the construction of 430 staff houses as well as the development of a clubhouse, a kindergarten and a surau.

Over the last couple of years, Tiong had been bringing up the matter in several parliamentary sessions that eventually led to the National Housing Commission to take over the project.

In each session, he highlighted the predicament of the port’s staff who had to service the loan that they had secured to purchase the houses, while at the same time they still had to pay for houses that they currently rented.

“On behalf of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, I would like to apologize to all the purchasers of these houses which had been delayed unnecessarily by people who are not concerned about your welfare,” he told several port staff who accompanied him in the visit.

Nevertheless, one of the port staff present spoke out to say that there was no reason for Tiong to apologise to them since he had shown his commitment to solve the problem and to end their predicament.

“We should be thankful to you, instead, and our appreciation might not be comparable to all the hassles and troubles that you had gone through just to let us to have the home that we have waited for all this while,” enthused the staff in an emotional tone.