Lo speaks to reporters. – Photo by Roystein Emmor
KUCHING (March 3): Batu Kitang assemblyman Dato Lo Khere Chiang has summoned Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen to voice his concerns on the state’s flood issues in Parliament and to request for allocations for flood mitigation from the federal government.
The federal government, he said, is also responsible for flood mitigation, as stated under the concurrent list in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) when the nation was formed.
“The flooding issue cannot be solved with RM1 or RM2; it involves a big sum of money,” said Lo.
“For example, Kampung Kuap alone needs RM400 million to come up with a master plan, and once the study is done, you have to go into detailed planning and design prior to the implementation of the projects.
“All these projects need to be approved by the federal Department of Irrigation and Drainage.
“So, you ask me whose responsibility is this? Chong, you are the Stampin MP and you spent 20 seconds in the last Parliamentary meeting to mention about flooding, and you expect that 20 seconds of mentioning this in the Parliament is going to solve the entire flooding problem in Sarawak?” he questioned.
“You are the DAP Sarawak chairman, you should bring it up to Parliament, not just for Stampin but the whole of Sarawak.
“Kampung Kuap alone needs RM400 million, so tell me how much money does the whole of Sarawak need? Hundreds of billions of ringgit!” he said this to the reporters when met after officiating a food aid presentation ceremony at SJK (C) Chung Hua 10th Mile here today.
“And you tell the local government to come out with the money to solve this? No! You must go out into Parliament and tell the federal government to come up with a huge sum of money to solve the flood problem in the whole of Sarawak, including Stampin,” he said.
Lo said this in response to Chong’s recent call for the state Public Health, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian to be held accountable over the increasing frequencies and severity of flash floods in the city.
Chong, who is Padungan assemblyman and Stampin MP, had earlier commented that the local councils under Dr Sim’s ministry are responsible for the building plans and drainage system in the city.
“The drainage system should naturally be improved by infrastructural development. Yet, it seems like the flash flood problem in Kuching is just getting worse. This reflects poor planning and execution from the minister and his ministry,” he said in a statement on Saturday.
He then called on Dr Sim to give a full and detailed public report on the cause of flash floods at Mile 7 Bazaar, Arang Road, Desa Wira in Batu Kawah, Hua Joo Park and in other flood affected areas here.
Chong said the councils and the state government ought to give a full account to the victims of these flash floods which have been occurring more frequently lately, especially since the completion of the Mile 7 Flyover and the commencement of new housing project across Jalan Penrissen.
He also called upon the ministry to pay compensation to the affected victims and businesses due to the flash floods which resulted from the ministry’s poor planning.