Abang Jo Announces Extra Rm10mil Allocation For S Wak Flood Relief

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Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg visiting flood and landslide victims at the Malaysian Red Crescent temporary relief centre in Miri today. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg has announced an additional allocation of RM10 million for Sarawak’s state disaster management committee to aid ongoing flood relief efforts in the state.
Bernama also quoted him as stressing that the state’s floods were not due to drainage issues, but rather the impact of climate change.
“The floods that have affected almost all areas in Sarawak were caused by an extraordinary amount of rainfall over the past few days, followed by continuous rain, which then coincided with the high tide,” he told reporters today after visiting the Malaysian Red Crescent temporary relief centre in Miri.
Abang Johari said the flooding in Bintulu was the worst it had seen in 30 years and drew parallels with the wildfires in California, attributing both disasters to climate change.
“This is why Sarawak is deeply concerned about climate change and is actively addressing it by transitioning towards green energy, such as hydrogen,” he added.
Yesterday, Bintulu MP Tiong King Sing attributed the severe flooding in Bintulu to flaws in the district’s drainage system and the failure to implement the Sungai Sibiew riverbed project.
Tiong said these issues prevented excess water from three days and two nights of heavy rain from being effectively discharged, leading to a rapid surge in river levels.
He said the worst-affected areas were those surrounding Sungai Sibiew, a direct consequence of the failure to deepen and widen the riverbed.
Separately, the Borneo Post reported that the floods in most parts of Sarawak eased slightly this evening, even as the region experienced a king tide of up to 6.1m at 6.49pm.
The state irrigation and drainage department has forecast another king tide of the same magnitude for tomorrow at 7.24pm.
Earlier today, deputy premier Douglas Uggah Embas said several areas in Sarawak were on high alert due to rising water levels as the state prepared for the king tide. - FMT

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