KUCHING: The Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) has been called to prepare a master plan for flood mitigation projects and proper drainage systems for the areas under its jurisdiction.
Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen said it was important for MPP to have a master plan in order to solve the flood issues, especially flash floods, affecting many residents at the moment.
“If MPP does not have a thorough plan for its areas of jurisdiction and prepare a master plan, the flood issue will not be resolved.
“MPP chairman and Batu Kitang assemblyman Lo Khere Chiang previously urged me to get more allocations from the federal government to implement flood mitigation projects, which I, as Stampin MP, will continue to do.
“…which is why I wrote to him on Dec 28, 2022 that I would like to speak with him about this matter which I was planning to schedule for today at 10.30am but he rejected the invitation two days later from the letter he sent to me on Dec 30, 2022,” Chong, the Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) chairman, told reporters on Tuesday (Jan 3).
Chong added that the aim of his proposed meeting was to ask for more details and related documents regarding the master plan for the flood mitigation projects as stated in the newspaper, including the detailed cost of the projects that fall under MPP’s jurisdiction, which including a copy of the letter from MPP to the Sarawak and federal governments requesting funds for the projects, information of the usage of the funds allocated previously, as well as the details of the announced allocation for 2023.
“All the documents and details are important so that I can also bring up this issue to debate in more detail at the parliamentary level.
“However, I was disappointed to receive a response from Lo that besides the lack of a master plan, he has also declined to have a meeting with me,” he stressed.
Chong concluded by calling on MPP to be more responsive and responsible to the residents in its jurisdiction so that the flood issue could be resolved as soon as possible.
