OFFICIAL PORTAL
PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT
NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AGENCY
PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT
NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AGENCY
KUCHING (Jan 13): A resident living in the low-lying Lorong Stampin Barat 4A area has voiced growing anxiety over the risk of flash floods should heavy rain coincide with the king tide expected from Jan 17 to 21.
The resident, speaking on condition of anonymity and representing her neighbours, said unresolved drainage issues have left the area vulnerable despite repeated complaints to the authorities, particularly the Kuching South City Council (MBKS).
She explained Lorong Stampin Barat 4A is also located behind the flood-prone Iris Garden area, compounding the issues at hand.
She said even one hour of continuous heavy rain is enough to cause the monsoon drain to overflow, spilling water onto nearby roads.
“If heavy rain persists for two hours, floodwaters would begin entering most houses in the area.
“The water rises very fast. After two hours of heavy rain, it would already reach my door. This has become very stressful,” the resident told The Borneo Post.
She added that she prays daily for the rain not to be too heavy, especially with the upcoming king tide.
According to her, the floods are not caused by small roadside drains, but by poorly maintained monsoon drains, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID).
“These large concrete drains are clogged with overgrown grass, bushes and possible debris, slowing down water flow during intense rainfall.
“The small drains are cleared by the city council, but all that water flows into the monsoon drain. When that drain is full and blocked, where does the water go?” the resident asked.
She cited the night of Dec 31, 2025, when about an hour of very heavy rain caused roads in the area to flood.
Although the water receded relatively quickly when the rain slowed to a drizzle, she believe this was due to the rainfall easing rather than any improvement in drainage capacity.
The flooding not only affects Lorong Stampin Barat 4 but also that of 4A and 4A1 – areas situated between Iris Garden and Taman Hui Sing.
“Residents here also questioned whether it was appropriate for a commercial building extension to be constructed over a monsoon drain, expressing concern that debris beneath the structure could further obstruct water flow,” she said.
Despite sending photos and complaints to MBKS, she said only the smaller drains were cleared.
In earlier complaints, they were informed that monsoon drains fall under DID’s responsibility, she added.
“There has been no lasting relief because the root cause has not been addressed,” the resident said, calling on engineers from both MBKS and DID to clearly identify and resolve the source of recurring flash floods.
She urged authorities to carry out comprehensive cleaning of monsoon drains, including the removal of vegetation and debris, and to ensure maintenance is done along the entire drainage route to where the water is supposed to discharge.
Meanwhile, Kuching South mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng, when contacted, said he is seeking detailed input from the council’s Engineering Department and that a project proposal may be submitted under the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13) to address drainage and flooding issues.
However, the resident remains concerned that without immediate intervention, the neighbourhood could once again be hit by floods, particularly if heavy rainfall coincides with the upcoming king tide.
“We may still be flooded. That is our biggest fear.”
SERIAN, 13 Jan: Kejadian banjir yang hampir setiap tahun melanda Kampung Tanah Puteh menyebabkan penduduk di kawasan itu semakin lali dan sentiasa bersedia, khususnya ketika musim hujan berpanjangan pada penghujung tahun.
Seorang mangsa banjir, Siti Jamarriah Sufian, 30, berkata beliau sememangnya menjangka banjir akan berlaku saban tahun di kampung berkenaan, namun tidak menyangka paras air meningkat dengan mendadak kali ini.
Menurutnya, meskipun tinggal bersama ibunya, Haminah Lek, 58, mereka sekeluarga sudah membuat persediaan awal dengan memindahkan barangan penting ke tempat lebih tinggi sejak malam Sabtu lalu.
“Saya memaklumkan kepada emak dan adik bahawa air sedang naik. Saya dan adik berjaga hingga tengah malam untuk memindahkan barang ke tingkat atas kerana emak tidak dapat membantu akibat sakit kaki,” katanya.
Siti ditemui TVS bersama adiknya, Nurlida Haryati Sufian, 17, ketika membersihkan bahagian bawah rumah mereka di Kampung Tanah Puteh di sini, hari ini.
Beliau berkata, sebagai anak jati Kampung Tanah Puteh, beliau tidak berhasrat untuk berpindah ke kawasan lain walaupun terpaksa berdepan ancaman banjir yang berlaku hampir setiap tahun.
Sementara itu, tinjauan TVS di Sekolah Kebangsaan Tanah Puteh mendapati seramai 448 mangsa daripada 131 keluarga kini ditempatkan di Pusat Pemindahan Sementara (PPS) yang dibuka di sekolah berkenaan.
Kesemua mangsa ditempatkan di dewan sekolah serta beberapa bilik darjah yang dijadikan lokasi penempatan sementara dengan khemah turut didirikan bagi menempatkan mangsa banjir.
KUCHING, 13 Jan: Cadangan penambahbaikan sistem perparitan di sepanjang Jalan Matang menjadi fokus utama perbincangan yang diterajui Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Tupong, Dato Fazzrudin Abd Rahman, susulan kejadian banjir yang berlaku baru-baru ini.
Perbincangan hasil lawatan tapak pada 9 Januari 2026 itu menumpukan penilaian terhadap punca banjir, kapasiti sistem perparitan sedia ada serta keperluan langkah mitigasi jangka pendek dan jangka panjang.
Dalam kenyataan hari ini, Fazzrudin berkata langkah berkenaan penting bagi memastikan aliran air hujan dapat dikawal dengan lebih berkesan sekali gus mengelakkan paras air meningkat dengan cepat hingga menjejaskan penduduk.
“Perbincangan ini bukan sekadar menangani masalah sementara, sebaliknya bertujuan merangka penyelesaian jangka panjang demi keselamatan dan kesejahteraan rakyat,” katanya.
Beliau turut memuji komitmen pelbagai agensi yang terlibat termasuk Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR), Majlis Perbandaran Padawan, Jabatan Pengairan dan Saliran Negeri Sarawak, Jabatan Pertanian, Jabatan Tanah dan Survei serta Borneo Aromatic Coconut Sdn. Bhd. dalam usaha menangani isu berkenaan secara menyeluruh.
Menurutnya, kerjasama rentas agensi itu mencerminkan kesungguhan semua pihak dalam mencari penyelesaian berkesan terhadap isu banjir yang memberi kesan langsung kepada komuniti setempat. – TVS
KOTA KINABALU (Jan 13): The Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia (ACEM) Sabah Branch calls for a decisive shift toward long-term, preventive flood management following the flash floods that impacted several districts on January 4.
While expressing sympathy to residents affected by the floods, ACEM Sabah acknowledges the swift response by the Sabah State Government and local authorities.
ACEM Sabah notes that recurring incidents suggest opportunities to further enhance systemic challenges in land use planning, drainage capacity and river management.
ACEM Sabah chairman Ir. Benny Song emphasized that flooding should be approached as a fundamental planning and engineering challenge. Rapid development and changes in land use have increased vulnerability in both urban and rural areas, often outpacing existing drainage infrastructure.
“Flood resilience must be integrated into development planning and infrastructure design from the outset,” said Benny. “Consulting engineers play a vital role in providing independent, technically sound advice to help the government mitigate risks before disasters occur”.
ACEM Sabah advocates for a broader, integrated water management strategy. Technical studies by local Sabah water engineering expert Datuk Ir. Ts. Dr. Amarjit Singh and Professor Dr. Nor Azazi Zakaria of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, including those by the National Hydraulic Research Institute of Malaysia (NAHRIM), have suggested that structural measures are most effective when paired with:
Catchment Management: Protecting river corridors and managing basin-wide planning.
Sustainable Drainage: Implementing flood retention measures to manage runoff at the source.
Integrated Water Security: Exploring the potential for capturing surplus runoff during wet seasons to enhance both flood mitigation and long-term water supply resilience.
The association notes that several technical concepts, such as off-river storage and coastal reservoirs, are currently being discussed within the engineering community as potential ways to reduce flood peaks while creating strategic freshwater reserves. In low-lying coastal areas, well-designed reservoir systems may also serve as a barrier against seawater intrusion.
“Sabah’s high rainfall and extensive coastline offer an opportunity to rethink floodwater management,” Ir. Benny noted. “Instead of focusing solely on rapid discharge to the sea, we can evaluate strategies to retain and treat excess water as part of a holistic resource plan”.
ACEM Sabah reaffirms its readiness to assist the Sabah State Government through professional advisory services, complementary technical expertise technical reviews, and the sharing of best engineering practices. Integrated flood mitigation and climate resilience remain essential to safeguarding the state’s infrastructure and future.
SIBU (Jan 14): Several low-lying areas along the Batang Balingian riverbank in Selangau remained submerged yesterday following intermittent rainfall.
Selangau Civil Defence Force (APM) officer Luke Douglas Dongum said checks in the afternoon found the water levels in affected areas of Lubuk Bukut remained high but stable.
“Our latest inspection found low-lying roads and areas were still inundated. However, the water has not affected the structure of houses, and residents remain safe,” he said.
Floodwaters at the Lubuk Bukut jetty were recorded at between one feet and 2.8 feet high; 2.5 feet to three feet near Rumah Annie; and 1.5 feet to two feet in low-lying areas at Rumah Suli.
Luke said all residents and longhouses along the Lubuk Bukut riverbank were not affected, and no evacuations were required.
“APM Selangau will continue to closely monitor flood-prone areas. Residents, particularly those living in low-lying locations, need to remain vigilant,” he said.
