Tawau MP Christina Liew has called on the Sabah government and relevant departments to seriously look into the issue of perennial floods plaguing residents of Beaufort.
The PKR lawmaker said it's a decades-long problem that had jeopardised the people's livelihood and disrupted economic activities as well as businesses in the area.
"Please do something to mitigate the situation before the next deluge hits the district.
"Flash floods have become a recurring problem and have been incurring huge losses in Beaufort for generations dating back to the seventies," she said in a statement today.
Liew also called on the state government to expedite the implementation of the proposal to deepen the Padas River.
In January, it was reported that the government was considering a proposal to deepen and straighten the Padas River through sand dredging as a measure to overcome the frequent flooding there.
Sabah recorded an increase in the number of flood evacuees yesterday with the number of flood victims evacuated to 41 PPS relief centres going up to 6,156 people as of 4pm compared to 4,999 people earlier in the day.
Liew visited several locations to present food aid to families affected by the flash floods yesterday.
The Api Api assemblyperson handed out some 300 food packs and 1,200 bottles of mineral water to flood victims at Kg Takuli, Kg Limbawang, and during her visit to evacuees at the temporary evacuation centre housed at Dewan DSP Mohd Dun Banir.
She also visited Kg Cina, one of the many villages struck by the floods, where she met with Chinese community leaders.
She was accompanied by Putatan MP Awang Husaini Sahari, Inanam Assemblyperson Peto Galim and Sabah PKR vice-chairperson John Ghani, among others.
Liew advised flood victims to take extra precautions and be alert for any danger or health problem that may arise from the flood as it is happening in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Take good care of your children and elderly parents, especially during this critical period. Keep clean and boil your drinking water.
"Go out only when necessary. Wear your masks when you go out but avoid crowded places," she said.
Meanwhile, Tenom MP Noorita Sual said these were the worst floods to hit her constituency in four decades.
"The flood this week has been the worst to have hit Tenom since 1981.
"Thousands of flood victims were displaced and had to be evacuated to 38 temporary evacuation centres as a result of water from the three rivers passing through Tenom, namely the Pagalan River, Padas River and Tolokoson River, breaching their banks,” she said in a statement.
According to news reports, 11 roads had been flooded, while the Kuala Tomani road which connects to the Kemabong town collapsed and was cut off, leading to stranded vehicles.
Noorita said that she had been on the ground for the last few days assisting victims and distributing emergency food aid, adding that she was grateful for DAP party comrades and generous corporations who responded to her call for help. - Mkini
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