Kuching: DAPSY Sarawak Secretary George Lam has urged Sarawak Metro Sdn Bhd to immediately stop night-time construction works in residential areas and ensure contractors comply with working hours agreed with residents.
Lam said he received complaints from residents of Taman Stutong Indah after construction works by a Sarawak Metro contractor continued until as late as 9pm on Monday.
He said this appeared to breach a commitment made during a dialogue between Sarawak Metro and residents on 29 August 2025, where it was agreed that construction works would be carried out from Monday to Saturday, between 7am and 6pm, excluding public holidays.
“The request to stop night-time construction is not something residents simply demanded. It was a commitment made by Sarawak Metro itself during the dialogue,” he said in a statement.
Lam said residents had repeatedly tolerated the inconvenience caused by the major infrastructure project, but construction noise at night had affected their rest and caused frustration.
He also questioned whether MBKS had been properly monitoring the works, noting that the dialogue session was chaired by Kuching South Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng.
“If the contractor has breached the agreed working hours, why has enforcement action not been taken?” he questioned.
Lam stressed that residents were not against infrastructure development or efforts to improve Kuching’s public transportation system, but development should not come at the expense of residents’ quality of life.
He called on Sarawak Metro to instruct all contractors working near residential areas to stop night-time construction and strengthen supervision to ensure compliance with agreed conditions.
At the same time, Lam urged MBKS and Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng to explain who is responsible for monitoring and enforcing the agreed working hours, as well as what action has been taken following residents’ complaints.
“Residents do not need another assurance that their concerns will be ‘looked into’. They need concrete action,” he said.
Lam said DAP Sarawak would continue monitoring major infrastructure projects and raising residents’ concerns to ensure communities were not overlooked in the name of development.
