KUCHING: Hard lessons from last year’s major floods have pushed the Sarawak Government to strengthen flood preparedness this year, with authorities urged to stay on constant alert as rainfall patterns become increasingly unpredictable during the northeast monsoon.
Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) Chairman and Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, said intense rainfall over short periods could cause water levels to surge rapidly, triggering floods even without the occurrence of a king tide.
As such, he said preparedness should not hinge on specific dates alone.
“The average annual rainfall in Sarawak is about 5,000 millimetres, but previously in Bintulu, rainfall reached up to 900 millimetres in just one day.
“When rainfall reaches that level, there is no need for a king tide to create problems because water levels will certainly rise,” he said after chairing the SDMC meeting at the Sarawak Disaster Control Centre (SDCC) at Wisma Bapa Malaysia today (Jan. 1).
Uggah said monitoring has been strengthened through a 24-hour operations room that coordinates real-time information on weather conditions, water levels and Sarawak River barrage operations.
He shared that the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has issued warnings of continuous rain expected over the next two to three days, with the king tide phenomenon forecast to occur on January 2 and 4.
Against this backdrop, residents in low-lying areas have been urged to remain vigilant and take precautionary measures throughout the monsoon season.
Floods that hit Sarawak last year had served as a reminder to reinforce preparedness measures, particularly in safeguarding evacuees’ welfare and ensuring the readiness of temporary relief centres (PPS).
He pointed out that SDMC had instructed all divisional authorities led by resident officers and district officers to be on standby since December, with renewed reminders issued to ensure the centres are fully prepared.
“We are reminding all authorities to recheck their positions, especially with readiness of PPS. Ensure that the centres are clean and equipped with basic facilities such as toilets and other essential amenities.
“Meanwhile, the Social Welfare Department (JKM) has also been placed on standby with food supplies and basic equipment, with main stockpiles positioned in Kota Samarahan and several other strategic locations.
“Local suppliers have been appointed in selected towns to ensure essential items can be quickly sourced so that evacuees are able to stay in comfort at PPS,” he said.
On health and safety, the Sarawak Health Department has been instructed to conduct inspections at each PPS once evacuees arrive, including health checks such as fever screening, to ensure all safety and health standard operating procedures (SOPs) are strictly observed.
