PKR wants RM200m for Sabah floods

Penampang MP wants immediate federal financial assistance to all those who have suffered so much from recurrent flooding.

KOTA KINABALU: Penampang MP Darell Leiking expressed great disappointment with the attitude of the federal government on helping tackle the recurrent flooding in Sabah.

“It was futile proposing that a token RM200 million be allocated from the huge RM16 billion budget of the Prime Minister’s Department to help alleviate the havoc that Mother Nature is wrecking on Sabah,” fumed Darell in a statement.

He was expressing his sorrow on the widespread damage caused by flash flooding on Thurs in Penampang district.

He extended his apologies to the people affected and conceded an overwhelming sense of helplessness on the recurrent flooding they encounter.

The federal government, Darell disclosed, couldn’t even fork out the RM64 million pledged by it in March this year for the Kibabaig Flood Mitigation Project in the district.

“They are now willing to give only RM41 million out of what they had already pledged,” said Darell.

“I hope that the federal government will also give immediate financial assistance to all those who have suffered so much from recurrent flooding. It should not convey the impression that it’s evil enough to discriminate against people when natural disasters strike.”

Village leaders, appointed by the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN), must also keep a lookout for hill cutting and clearing or land reclamation work which can also compound the problem of recurrent flooding, he added.

Darell urged the people to take to the social media and upload whatever news and visuals they have on the recurrent flooding in Sabah.

One particular website to visit, he advised, was that maintained by the federal Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment at http://eaduan.water.gov.my