RELEVANT authorities have been urged to provide clear, up-to-date information on flood mitigation efforts in Bintulu, as residents continue to face anxiety and uncertainty during the ongoing Northeast Monsoon season.
Tanjong Batu assemblyman Johnny Pang Leong Ming called on the government to move beyond planning and provide tangible updates on measures being implemented to prevent flash floods in the district.
“We sincerely thank the Government for approving the RM1,000 assistance to flood victims, including those who did not take shelter in the Pusat Pemindahan Sementara (PPS). We understand this aid is being distributed in phases to the head of each household.
“However, we are now deep in the Northeast Monsoon season, which is expected to bring heavy rainfall episodes to Sarawak, potentially continuing until March 2026.
“I see with my own eyes and feel with my own heart the worry, the anxiousness, and the uneasiness of my rakyat in Bintulu every time there is a heavy downpour. This shows how traumatized we are by the flood incident that happened earlier this year,” Pang said.
He said this when debating the Supply (2026) Bill, 2025 debate at the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting yesterday (Nov 27).
Highlighting the slow progress of flood mitigation projects, he said: “We know that the Sarawak government approved RM64.82 million for Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) Sarawak to implement 13 projects to address flash flood issues, with 10 reportedly completed and three still in progress.
“The Federal government, through the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation/DID, has also listed the rehabilitation of the Batang Kemena Estuary at a cost of RM51.5 million.
“Yet, from our plain eyes, we don’t see much being done. Roads start flooding after just an hour of rain. How can we not be worried?”
Pang specifically called for an update on the dredging of Sungai Sibiew, a project proposed nearly five years ago, with little visible progress on the ground.
“I respectfully urge our relevant authorities to use this platform to share clear, up-to-date information with this august House, allowing our constituents to be assured by hearing the facts presented here.
“The people deserve to know that this issue is being treated with the utmost urgency, not left to face another decade of delays,” he added.
