SIBU – The Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, expressed his disappointment regarding the worsening flood situation in Sibu, which seems to still have no resolution to date.
The relevant authorities, especially the Drainage Irrigation Department (DID) should quickly obtain data from riverbed surveys and immediately begin urgent dredging works to alleviate the flash flood problems in Sibu, he added.
He, who is also the Member of the State Assembly (ADUN) for Dudong, said the current flood was one of the most severe and had the highest water levels he had personally inspected, despite numerous complaints being made, he claims that until now there has been no action from the authorities.
He emphasized that the issue requires serious attention and swift action for a long-term solution.
“It’s hard for me to imagine how dangerous and frightening this situation is for the residents, especially for children, the elderly, and women.”
“I have emphasized several times that it is important to carry out dredging and deepening work on riverbeds to ensure smooth water flow in order to address the sudden increase in river levels.”
“What I can conclude here is why some parties seem to only be able to watch without doing anything and pretend that nothing is happening.”
“Don’t just sit in an air-conditioned room and hope that this problem will resolve itself.”
“However, the relevant authorities still remain indifferent, as if believing that this problem will magically resolve itself without any action,” he said in a Facebook post on Saturday.
Tiong said that although the water level around Salim-Stabau reached chest height, he was determined to wade through the water to ensure that residents affected by the flood did not suffer from a lack of food supplies due to the flood.
He called on all department heads and decision-makers, including the Department of Irrigation and Drainage, as well as other relevant agencies, to take the suffering of the people seriously.
It is said that immediate action needs to be taken to review the flood control system and address the root causes of flash flood problems in the most effective way.
He also reminded that all authorities have a responsibility to serve the people.
“To those in power, remember that we are all responsible for serving the people and fulfilling our duties, so please do your work to the best of your ability,” he said.
The prolonged rainy weather accompanied by high tide phenomena has caused several areas in Sibu to experience flash floods since two days ago.
The incident caused water pooling in several areas along the banks of the Rejang River and the surrounding areas, including Khoo Peng Loong Road. -MalayaDailyToday
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