If you have an internet access and Google Earth on your computer, just type Biawak in it's search column and you will be brought there no matter where you are from. There must be something special about Kampung Biawak that Google Earth took notice to have it a close up view from above. Funny however, Lundu town, which is it's administrative center, hasn't got that special focus by Google Earth. Funnier still though, with a hard to understand irony, the appallingly sorry state of the road from Lundu Town to Kampong Biawak has not been noticed by those who should be concerned since 1972 as described here. Tons of grumbles and complaints by the affected users and residents seem to be as good as null and void.
In this guide, I advice you to mentally brace yourself for a long, monotonous pictorial frames of the journey. It can be a very boring and equally disheartening rendezvous taking you to the real figurative meaning of the abyss of neglect. It is strongly recommended that those faint hearted who have expensive luxury vehicles may not take this route unless you are ready with spare parts and frequent visits to the mechanics. I can guarantee readers that not even main battle tanks designed for wars will be able to last long if driven along the road on a daily basis. May be a Paris-Dakar Rally designed vehicles would give you some comfort but then again Paris-Dakar Rally is not an everyday event, so still I would not recommend you folks travel the Lundu-Biawak route so often.
But what about those folks living along Lundu-Biawak Road, you may ask?. And what vehicles are they using? Well, I suspect they must be a special breed of homo sapiens using specially tailored mechanized transport vehicles. Again you may ask if they are not citizens of wealthy and prosperous Malaysia? Of course they are and they paid taxes too (including road taxes) but may be the Malaysian Government have already recognized and gazetted these folks as immune to suffering and difficulties so that might be the main reason why their road have not been tar sealed since it was built more than a quarter of a cenctury ago.
Again you may ask if these people are not voters in general elections? Well, I can assure you good and proper that they always voted for the government of the day which promised them that their road will be made into six lanes highways in every election campaign. In fact, it has been customary that survey personnels would come and put survey sticks and marks on both sides of the road from end to end; giving the impression and illusion that the road will be upgraded the next day and be completed faster than the time a vehicle would travel from Lundu town to Kampung Biawak itself. You see, there has been tons of wooden sticks used as survey marks (before every election) and if that have been used as fuel to light barbecue fires, that would last a good few years.
But I am not really talking about Travel Guide To Biawak, you may ask? Oh, I am sorry but if you don't mind to see the pictures below.
Kampung Biawak and Lundu town map courtesy of Google Earth.
A close up satellite view of Kampung Biawak proper courtesy of Google Earth. 
School children coming back from school travelling on foot along this mud surfaced highway to deprivation. 37 years!
The blue signboard proudly tells who tarred the small road leading to a few houses. Funny isn't it if we compare it with the main road to the right. May be even the dog in the picture is feeling the same. 37 years!
Highway of pot holes and gravels. 37 years!
Highway of mud and puddles. 37 years!
Lundu-Biawak Highway at it's best condition. 37 years!
Military trucks has been cruising this supberbly mantained highway since 1972. 37 years!
Have not seen this kind of route in Paris-Dakar Rally pictures anyway. Excellently mantained that even fish can safely swim along this highway. 37 years!
Easy source of water in times of difficulty can be tapped here across the highway. 37 years!
And large gravels as bullets for catapults can easily be utilized along this highway too. 37 years!
This is what I mean by a specially designed motorised vehicle in my above article. The owner says this van never broke down ever since he bought this machine. These model of "repair free" vehicles are only to be found traveling along this superb highway. 37 years!
In a few more years, the gravel mount will replace the mountain at the far end of the picture. 37 years!
This highway is also very suitable for super bikers to travel at hair raising speed as seen like the one with headlight on in the picture. 37 years!
These puddles will one day replace the aquariums of those folks living nearby. 37 years!
Another view of the Highway of Gravels, Potholes and Mud. 37 years!
As clear as the eyes can see. 37 years!
After 37 years, Malaysia can still afford and be proud to have and maintain this exemplary highway. 37 years!
We can even play congkak on these potholes. 37 years!
And wash our hands thereafter. 37 years!
With this make of vehicle, there might be some relative comfort traveling on this highway. 37 years!
They say Proton Waja is especially designed to be driven on this top notch highway. 37 years!
Centuries old question: "Why Do The Chicken Cross The Road?" Because this feeder road is half gravel, half tar sealed. 37 years!
Chocolate drink anyone? Come have them free along Lundu-Biawak Highway. 37 years!
This is Jangkar waterfall as seen from the Highway of Gravel, Potholes and Mud. 37 years!
The driver of this special vehicle is expertly negotiating his way to avoid the good part of the highway. 37 years!
At one glance, it looks like a dry up river bed full of gravels. 37 years!
Very soothing view to the eye, argh, this highway! These sights (and this one is not yet the worse/worst) are repeated all along the road after heavy downpours. For the last 37 years, these trademarks are synonymous with Lundu-Biawak Road. Malaysia Boleh! 37 years!
Rain another day, gravity pipe can be sourced from here. 37 years!
One of the thousands of lorries of oil palm taken away from estates found along the Highway of Gravels, Potholes and Mud. 37 years!
The same lorry as in earlier pic but now it travels on real highway (Lundu-Sematan Road). Citizens of Malaysia living along Lundu-Biawak Road have been longing for this type of road for the past 37 years. Does wealthy and prosperous Malaysia need another 37 more years to upgrade Lundu-Biawak Road?
13 comments:
Taringat aku masa maraga bau-lundu napan siap. Puang kpg pun satahun sakae. Sanapan ampus koa bapa dh servis bato2x van kami koa baru barangkat... Puang'e pun jakoa ugak. servis agik. mae bh mun dh puang ampat di kampun mesti ada bunyi bagagaran...
aku ana' kaak tama' ka jaatn Biawak koa... jakoa paduan'e.. tapi tanang ampat di maraga kayak (Main Road), koa pun dah nahuik keadaan'e..
37 tahutn?!... aku pun napatn ngaramus waktu koa..
Koalah jangu antogatnna, antah damia badie tohe. Kahe ga' make pensel 2B barankali na'ida' kasia paham kasusahatn kami am make maraga koa.
I must say, the Biawak road is slightly better than my kebun road.
Obviously, the local YB is not doing enough.
beautifull blogs... its very nice...
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Dear JRP,
I have visited your blog but sadly I cannot understand Portuguese. Nice pictures in there though.
Thank you for your visit.
Serve you right Biawakians. You have been voting for this road. Lets follow Serikin. We vote for non-BN, we have good though winding road. If you want to change your luck, vote non-BN. Which sibbling gets the ice cream... the good boy who obeys his mother, or the crying boy?
My friend, I think you’ve used “Prt Scr” (?!) command for GE images – it’s too heavy! Have you try commands “File Save Save Image…”?
So, are Lundu/Sematan people still voting for SUPP N1. Opar in the next state election? Ibarat menanam tebu di bibir di kala musim kempen pilihanraya ya pak…
Eh, Chap Goh Mey apa maciam? Heh!
Dear Tiyung Dayak,
The GE image files became bigger only after some editing such as putting water marks and resizing. Originally they were small whether we use print screen or saving it from the command menu. The issue though is not the GE pics but the road. Heh...heh...
Kasia and tiyungdayak always talk about technical things. Cemburu juga rasanya kerana tak faham. He he he
i dont like this words:
''serve you right''
by 1 of the commenter above...
i wonder y if things happen, people start pointing finger? we should start to fix it, but not to blame the others doesnt it?
for the commenter i mentioned, please dont use rude words.. how if you are at their site now, experienced the same matter, then sum1 shooting you with the words u use,..'' serve you right(padan muka)''? hws u feel?
the crying baby is always askin for sumthing... everythings not enough for him.. juz like you...
makin keren aja..sukses yah pak....
Sad to see that there are still lots of this type of roads in Sarawak even after 45 years of indipendent!
The worst is that, the rural road users (they are normally live in poverty and strong supporters of government) have to pay the same road tax paid by the urban road users (they are mostly live in prosperity and strong supporters of the oppositions)!
The MOST worst is that, their mouth and ears being shutting off by "others" who giving the wrong information that we are a develop nation.
The MOST+MOST worst is that, the logs and the jungle treasures are taken away leaving this "highway to hell" for us to use!
A pity nation...
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