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.

BINTULU (Jan 14): The government should seriously consider opening up a new channel here to disperse water flow and address flooding, instead of continuing to rely solely on the already-overburdened Sungai Sebiew.

In pointing this out, Democratic Action Party (DAP) Bintulu chairman Chiew Chan Yew observed that severe flooding had become increasingly frequent year after year, underscoring the need for the state government to address the root causes of this problem with longer-term, more structural solutions.

He pointed out that current conditions had repeatedly shown that Sungai Sebiew could no longer accommodate additional water coming from the upstream areas, residential zones and ongoing development projects.

“The situation over the past few days has once again highlighted the severity of the problem.

“Even a short period of rainfall, combined with run-off from Jalan Bintulu-Miri, can cause the water levels to rise rapidly and affect a wide area,” he said in a statement yesterday.

According to Chiew, flooding has become more frequent and severe across the Tanjong Batu constituency – home to tens of thousands of households along Sungai Sebiew and its surrounding catchment areas, calling it ‘inescapable shadow over residents’ daily lives’.

“The flooding along Sungai Sebiew and in the coastal areas of Tanjung Batu can no longer be resolved through short stretches of drainage works or minor upgrades to the local systems.

“What Sungai Sebiew is facing now is an excessive concentration of water volume and limited discharge outlets, a structural and systemic crisis that cannot be addressed through piecemeal fixes,” he said.

Chiew also expressed concern that further residential and development projects planned on the opposite side of Jalan Sibiyu would generate even more surface run-off, all of which would eventually flow into the same river.

“Under such a development model, all water is forced towards a single outlet. How can the river not exceed its capacity?” he said, adding that repeated calls to dredge the riverbed had yet to materialise.

“While acknowledging that the dredging of Sungai Sebiew is important, it is a long and complex process, and also, it must not become an excuse for inaction.

“As dredging proceeds, the government must at the same time seriously examine the necessity of opening a new river channel to relieve the immense pressure borne by the stretch of Sungai Sebiew from the fifth-mile area to Kampung Kemunting near Taman Desa Damai,” he said, describing this as a long-term solution that must be considered based on present realities.

Based on interactions with flood victims over the past few days, Chiew said many residents were living with deep psychological trauma caused by years of repeated flooding.

“Even after the rain stops and the sun comes out, the fear of the next downpour remains.

“Once the sky darkens slightly and water begins to pool on the roads, many residents would immediately move their vehicles, fearing they will wake up to find them submerged.

“Flooding brings not only material losses, but also prolonged mental stress and fear. “Many families have spent lifetime’s savings on or are committed to 20- to 30-year housing loans just to secure a home.

“Yet with every year-end rain, it becomes the most unsettling place of all.”

Chiew said flood mitigation must not be treated as an issue raised only before elections or addressed through short-term measures and publicity-driven projects.

“It concerns people’s safety, family stability and future quality of life.

“If the government continued to rely on fragmented and short-sighted measures, more families would pay an unbearable price,” he said.

The DAP man urged the Sarawak government to demonstrate political will and professional planning by comprehensively re-evaluating Bintulu’s water management system, including the feasibility of new river channels, reconfiguration of drainage outlets and closer coordination between development planning and flood mitigation efforts.

“Only then can Bintulu people truly enjoy a life not dictated by the weather, nor plagued by sleepless nights of fear,” he added.