MIRI: A dedicated local team should be set up in Bekenu to provide quick response in the event of emergencies like the recent floods there.
The call came from Deputy Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Development, Datuk Rosey Yunus.
During a visit to meet with residents impacted by recent floods, on Wednesday (Feb 19), she highlighted the need for better safety measures and community preparedness.
She noted that many households suffered significant losses due to damaged belongings and the unexpected severity of the disaster.
“The floods did not just affect Bekenu; landslides in nearby areas, such as Miri, have also resulted in fatalities. This highlights our lack of preparedness, as there were insufficient agency personnel deployed to Bekenu,” she said.
Rosey emphasised the importance of learning from this experience.
“The disorganised delivery of aid was largely due to manpower shortages. It is vital that we set up our own local team in advance to address such emergencies effectively,” she said, adding that residents’ housing locations need to be identified to streamline future assistance.
She also stressed that disaster response efforts should not only focus on homes directly inundated by floodwaters but also on those cut off due to flooded roads.
On a related note, Rosey announced an allocation of RM4,000 under her Minor Rural Project (MRP) fund to the Village Development and Security Committee (JKKK) for Kampung Rambai, Bekenu.
The event was attended by community leaders, including Kampung Rambai’s Ketua Kaum (KK) Amir Emran and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Women’s movement leader for Bekenu, Hadijah Sheikh.
On the same day, Rosey visited the home of Datuk Dr Ripin Lamat,Deputy Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Sarawak in Kampung Kepayang Tiris to offer her condolences to his family following the passing of his father on Feb 15.
She extended her sympathies to Dr Ripin’s mother, Hamisah Sulia.
Others present during the visit included Pemanca Dr Ali Mudin, councillors Khadijah Sheikh Kassim and Kasim Sahak, KK Suip Karim (Kampung Kepayang Tiris), KK Sulaiman (Kampung Pintasan Tiris), KK Illis (Kampung Tunah), KK Zulkipli Abu Bakar (Kampung Sebalik), Rosey’s private secretary William Changgan, and Special Officer for Bekenu Service Centre, Sulaiman Ahmad.
