Flooding equally a federal problem, Lo reminds Chong

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BY JACQUELINE DAVID

KUCHING: Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jien has been told to bring Sarawak’s frequent flooding woes to the attention of parliament.

Batu Kitang assemblyman Datuk Lo Khere Chiang who made the call said this is because the issue is included in the concurrent list under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63), and in the concurrent list, the federal government has to shoulder half the responsibility or more.

“Frequent flooding issues in Sarawak should be addressed urgently by the federal government, in particular its Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID).

“The federal government has all these years taken approximately RM80 billion in oil and gas money from us, and the flooding issue is not a matter of RM1, RM2 (with which) you can solve the problem, it involves a big amount of money.

“Take for example, under the jurisdiction of the Padawan Municipal Council (PMC), Kampung Quap needs about RM400 million to come up with a master plan.

“All these projects need approval which has to be obtained from the federal government, in particular the DID. Somebody has to do a study first and once the study is done, then you have to go into detailed planning, design, before the project can be implemented,” he said.

He said in response to Chong’s remarks on flash floods affecting the 7^th Mile Bazaar shopkeepers, after launching the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MRCS) Sarawak Chapter Food Basket Programme for the less fortunate at SJC Chung Hua Batu 10 Multipurpose Hall, Kota Padawan here on Sunday (Mar 3).

According to Chong, the shopkeepers have on two occasions endured floodwaters rising to their shops in this first month of the lunar year, with first on the 7^th day of the lunar month on Feb 16, and the second one recently.

Chong, who is Stampin MP had said that the council and the government should give a full account to those affected by these flash floods, which had occurred frequently of late, especially after the completion of the 7^th Mile Flyover Project and the commencement of the new housing project across the Penrissen Road.

He said Public Health, Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, should be held accountable, blaming the flash floods on poor planning and execution on the part of the minister and his ministry.

“Tell the federal government to give us back our RM80 billion (from the oil and gas funds) and we will be able to deal with the problem ourselves,” reported Lo in response.

“The federal government has to carry out this master plan, because this is a huge project involving a huge amount of money for the whole state,” he said.