KOTA KINABALU: It’s tough going at Bukit Garam, a floodprone zone along Sabah’s longest river, with residents not budging from an area long declared unsafe for human settlement.

Civil defence officers struggled to evacuate nine families from floodwaters at Kg Pengkalan, Bukit Garam, a remote village along the Kinabatangan River.

These families are occupying old houses in the village, which is located deep in the interior some six hours’ drive from Kota Kinabalu.

In fact, all the original residents were previously relocated under a government resettlement programme to Taman Pelangi.

“When the houses were left vacant, others moved in,” said Kinabatangan Civil Defence Force officer Ahmad Roslan Mohd Kamel.

“Some were relatives, others were new settlers from nearby areas like Kuamut.”

To date, Kinabatangan is the only district in Sabah still affected by floods.

These nine families occupying the abandoned homes near a dilapidated community hall have refused to evacuate despite worsening conditions.

All of them are Malaysian citizens who now rent shoplots in front of the hall.

While they are not the original residents, Ahmad Roslan stressed that they are also not illegal settlers – they simply moved into a place that had been declared off-limits.

“They’re used to the floods. Some say they don’t want to leave because all their belongings are there. Others fear theft if they abandon the place, especially since there are multiple routes into the area.”

He said the floor level of the old houses is just one foot above the ground, and floods hit as soon as the river level rises. While a few families have boats, the rest do not.

Electricity to the area has been cut off, but the residents still refuse to leave, even if it means risking their personal safety.

Officials have spent days coaxing the group to relocate, although authorities have the right to enforce mandatory evacuation under disaster response procedures.

“We are still discussing the next steps with the police as well as Fire and Rescue Department,” said Ahmad Roslan.

“Refusal to comply could result in imprisonment of up to five years, a fine of up to RM10,000 or both,” he said, adding that individuals could also be charged under the Penal Code’s Section 186 for obstructing officers or Section 188 for disobeying orders from public servants.

The authorities, however, are opting to give residents time and have asked local leaders and village committees to help persuade them.

Kinabatangan district officer Willey Lampaki officially declared the district a flood disaster area at 4.45pm on April 2.

Later that evening, a temporary evacuation centre (PPS) was activated at SK Bukit Garam to facilitate evacuation and coordinate relief efforts as water levels breached the danger mark.

As at 4pm on Thursday, 23 families comprising 100 individuals had taken shelter there.

Ahmad Roslan said the current flooding is due to “air besar”, a rush of water from upstream areas like Kuamut and Inara, funnelling into the Kinabatangan River.

Even though it had not rained heavily in Kg Pengkalan itself,

water from upstream has overwhelmed the system.

And less than 1km away on a boat ride, a joint team from the Wildlife Department and police was deployed on Thursday after villagers reported spotting a crocodile near the bridge to Kampung Muhibah.

Ahmad Roslan said the monitoring team carried out surveillance at the site but found no physical traces of the reptile.

The Wildlife Department will be setting up a trap as a precaution.

The area is not far from Tanjung Bulat – known to be the habitat of a crocodile referred to as Si Black.

The crocodile’s name still sparks fear in the local community.

Si Black was blamed for the death of an off-duty Civil Defence member in 2018, who was snatched while fishing by the riverbank.

SUBANG JAYA – Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi (KPT) mengerahkan seluruh kepakarannya termasuk kaunseling dan perubatan bagi membantu mangsa yang terjejas dengan kebakaran paip gas bawah tanah di Putra Heights, di sini.

Menterinya, Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir berkata, bantuan kemanusiaan serta trauma turut ditumpukan kepada mangsa terutama kanak-kanak yang berlindung di Pusat Pemindahan Sementara (PPS) di Masjid Putra Heights.

“Kita telah mengambil langkah untuk memastikan sebuah pasukan di bawah KPT dihantar dengan segera melibatkan pasukan perubatan daripada kalangan universiti-universiti yang mempunyai hospital.

“KPT juga menghantar team psikologi bagi membantu mereka yang menghadapi trauma. Mereka mengendalikan bukan hanya orang dewasa, tetapi juga kanak-kanak.

“Selain itu, kita turut menghantar satu pasukan daripada Siswa Madani. Sukarelawan-sukarelawan ini kita himpunkan dari pelbagai universiti di seluruh negara termasuk dari Sarawak,” katanya kepada media selepas melawat PPS di sini hari ini.

Zambry berkata, KPT turut mengenal pasti pelajar-pelajar yang terkesan dengan insiden tersebut di mana bantuan yang diberikan bukan sekadar dalam bentuk wang tunai tetapi meliputi aspek-aspek lain seperti kemudahan komputer untuk pengajian serta urusan pendaftaran.

“Setakat ini kita mempunyai sembilan pelajar yang terlibat. Kita bersiap sedia untuk menghulurkan sebarang bentuk bantuan.

“Ia bukan setakat bantuan dalam bentuk cash, tetapi pendaftaran mereka juga pada Isnin nanti boleh dilonggarkan sedikit sekiranya ada kesulitan untuk mereka bergerak.

“Saya juga sudah maklumkan kepada pihak universiti supaya tempoh mereka mendaftar itu dapat dilanjutkan,” katanya. – 4 April, 2025

SUBANG JAYA: The Higher Education Ministry has mobilised teams from various public universities equipped with teaching hospitals to assist victims of the Putra Heights gas pipeline blast.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, who visited the temporary relief centre at the Putra Heights Mosque today, highlighted the ministry's swift response in providing aid.

"We took immediate steps to ensure a team under the Higher Education Ministry was dispatched right away," said Zambry.

The teams sent to assist in the efforts included members from Universiti Malaya, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. All of these public universities possess medical aid expertise.

The ministry also deployed a psychological team from various universities to support individuals experiencing trauma.

Student volunteers from the Siswa Madani programme were also mobilised from various universities to support the relief efforts.

"We also sent a team from IPT Madani, which we call the Siswa Madani team. These volunteers were gathered from various universities.

"Even from as far as UNIMAS in Sarawak, three representatives travelled here to provide assistance," he said.

Zambry said that the number of students affected by the blast had also increased from the four initially reported.

"The Siswa Pendana fund has already delivered RM2,000 in aid to each of these students," he added.

SUBANG JAYA – Kementerian Digital sedang meneliti keperluan menggantikan peranti digital yang rosak susulan insiden kebakaran saluran gas di Putra Heights, dekat sini, bagi meringankan beban mangsa yang terjejas.

Menterinya, Gobind Singh Deo berkata, ramai penduduk di kawasan itu memaklumkan bahawa telefon pintar dan peralatan elektronik lain turut musnah dalam kejadian berkenaan.

“Dalam perbincangan dengan penduduk tadi, ramai menyatakan peranti mereka turut terkesan. Jadi kementerian kini sedang melihat bagaimana kita boleh bantu menggantikannya.

“Saya berharap dalam tempoh dua hari ini kita dapat umumkan langkah-langkah yang akan diambil. Mereka yang perlukan bantuan boleh berhubung dengan pejabat Ahli Parlimen atau ADUN untuk permohonan,” katanya dalam sidang media selepas meninjau sendiri lokasi kejadian pada Jumaat.

Gobind turut memaklumkan, kementeriannya akan bekerjasama dengan pejabat wakil rakyat untuk menyelaras bantuan gantian peranti dalam masa terdekat.

Dalam lawatan itu, beliau turut menyatakan komitmen kementerian untuk membantu seberapa segera yang boleh, selaras dengan usaha kerajaan negeri dan agensi-agensi berkaitan.

“Saya ucap terima kasih kepada kerajaan negeri dan semua agensi yang telah membantu. Fokus sekarang ialah bagaimana kita boleh bantu mereka yang terkesan kembali ke rumah secepat mungkin,” ujarnya.

Menurut beliau, banyak bantuan telah disalurkan sejak tiga hari lalu menerusi pejabat Ahli Parlimen dan DUN, namun masih banyak keperluan lain yang perlu dipenuhi.

“Kita datang hari ini untuk meninjau keadaan sebenar dan akan bawa laporan penuh kepada Kabinet untuk tindakan lanjut,” jelasnya.

Gobind turut memaklumkan bahawa siasatan insiden masih berjalan dan menyerahkan perkara itu kepada pihak berkuasa.

“Biar siasatan ini diteruskan dan saya harap ia dapat diselesaikan secepat mungkin,” katanya.

Ketika ditanya mengenai status penduduk yang pulang ke rumah masing-masing, Gobind menjelaskan bahawa pihak polis dan agensi berkaitan sedang menguruskan hal berkenaan, termasuk keperluan membuat laporan polis dan pemeriksaan rumah.