I wanted to laugh when I read that the Government plan to build permanent flood evacuation centres - it will, in my opinion, be an exercise of WASTING MONEY, money that we do not have since Malaysia's DEBT is about RM1.5 Trillion(as said by some), and not that the DEBT has not been reduced or stagnated. Since Anwar Ibrahim has become Prime Minister, the government is increasing its DEBT - and Anwar seems proud that the DEBTS are increasing slower than before BUT still increasing...
Malaysia may need a staggering RM392bil allocation for flood mitigation projects but with limited resources, the government will prioritise projects based on urgency and needs, says Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof. - Star, 6/12/2024
Today, whenever there is a flood, we have been using schools and other existing facilities to house flood victims temporarily - and when flood recide in a week or so, they return back home. SO, WHY DO WE NEED A PERMANENT FLOOD EVACUATION CENTER... if they were saying they would be providing people who are regularly or annually affected by flood with new land and homes - to end the annual sufferings they endure from flood, that would have been better...[What do you do with such buildings when there is no flood or flood victims - which might become a reality after flood mitigation plans succeed?) Better to invest the money in building more police station or booths...repairing/raising roads that get flooded regularly,...
Then, the Malaysian Government has spend a lot of money on FLOOD MITIGATION project to end certain areas from flooding - well, the Malaysians still do not all know what this projects are (is it a canal to divert water from rivers to some large reservoirs, or directly to main deeper rivers? Is it the building of a drainage system?, Is it building of dams?) Tell us what is it, and how is it going AND if already completed, has it effectively prevented flooding??
A friend once told me that what the government should do is to identify roads that are often flooded, and just raise the HEIGHT of the roads (or even railroads) so that it will never be flooded again - roads/railways are important to transport supplies to people in TEMPORARY flood evacuation centers, and also to allow people to move to HIGHER grounds...
WE DO NOT NEED PERMANENT FLOOD EVACUATION CENTERS - WE ALREADY HAVE ADEQUATE SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY HALLS, MOSQUES/CHURCHES AND OTHER FACILITIES TO PROVIDE TEMPORARY SHELTER DURING FLOODS..
Longer stay however will be needed if an earthquake destroys one's housing or a gas pipe explosion displaces people who will have to spend some time away until their homes are rebuild..but still we do not need PERMANENT temporary shelters - spend the money for hospitals, ambulances,... this are real needs.
Some places never flooded before but now are getting flooded. Ask the question why? Was natural swamps that prevented flooding been now filled with the approval of government the cause? OR maybe the government failed to maintain the depth and flow of river - which have become shallower because of forest and other debries - river cleaning/deepening must be prioritized. Was it POOR PLANNING by government that is causing floods in areas never affected by floods before?
For flashed floods - are the drains clogged, or do we need DEEPER drains considering that of late, when it rains, the amount of water has increased making current drains inadequate to speedily disperse the rain waters... Have you seen the government even cleaning and/or unclogging drains before - when really, this must be done at least once a month...How did the government approve drains around commercial and residential areas that do not ultimately flow to rivers, big drainage out of the area - Poor planning, lack of enforcement, CORRUPTION..???
ANYWAY - the idea of building PERMANENT flood evacuation centers is rather foolish, in my opinion, to house people usually once a year for a week to 10 days or less. YES, occasionally we have very BIG FLOODS, but that happens once in a while every several decades...
In Chiangmai, once a regular flood prone area, a system of large drains/canals and water catchment areas ended its flood problems - Maybe Malaysia should look at such successful flood mitigation - avoidance projects...
Chiang Mai is employing multiple flood mitigation efforts, including infrastructure improvements like dredging waterways, installing and maintaining flood barriers along the Ping River, and increasing water management capacity in reservoirs and retention ponds to control water flow. The province is also focusing on real-time monitoring, using AI-powered systems like FloodBoy, and implementing community-based preparedness through local government autonomy and the formal establishment of resilience groups.
Note that in Malaysia, to deal with flood victims, our Jabatan Pertahanan Awam, the Army, ... are already pretty ready and efficient in dealing with the flood victims issue...
Zahid: Permanent evacuation centres planned for flood-prone areas in Sabah
Federal government to build permanent evacuation centres in flood-prone Sabah, starting with Bongawan and expanding elsewhere.
Updated 2 hours ago · Published on 18 Sep 2025 3:59PM
PLANS are being drawn up to build several permanent evacuation centres in flood-prone areas of Sabah, with one confirmed facility to be built in Bongawan, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Thursday.
Zahid, who is also Rural and Regional Development Minister, said the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) will construct the Bongawan centre this year.
He added that proposals for other districts are being considered and will depend on the availability of funds.
“I found that Bongawan is one of the areas that is constantly flooded… The need to build a permanent relocation centre there is very important,” he said.
Bongawan, a coastal town located about 70km south of Kota Kinabalu, is among Sabah’s most flood-prone areas.
“We will also hold discussions on other areas in Sabah where permanent relocation centres can be built.
“The decision will depend on recommendations from the Finance Ministry and local officials,” he told reporters after visiting the Kampung Mook community centre in Kinarut, where he had earlier paid his respects to the family of Jude Joseph.
Joseph lost his wife and son when a landslide tore through his village and destroyed their home during the floods and landslides on September 15.
The Umno president, who arrived in Kota Kinabalu late Wednesday, had toured seven temporary shelters in flood-hit districts.
Also accompanying him were Sabah Umno chief Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin and State Secretary Datuk Seri Safar Untong.
Zahid said the centre in Bongawan will include kitchens, bathrooms and communal facilities, and will also serve as a community hub outside of the disaster season.
“We already have the design template for such a centre, and we will improve it in terms of size and facilities,” he said.
He added that funds to build the new evacuation centre in Bongawan are already available, but disbursement must follow existing procedures. However, he pledged to expedite the process.
When asked about measures to prevent future disasters, Zahid said his ministry is working closely with the Minerals and Geoscience Department to identify landslide-prone areas.
“This matter can be addressed when the federal and state governments deliberate on the department’s advice,” he said.
Housing assistance
On another matter, Zahid said he had also taken note of victims requesting their homes be rebuilt under the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) housing programme and the federal People’s Housing Project (PPRS). His ministry will meet soon to decide allocations and provide funding for repairs to damaged houses.
“They have asked for SMJ houses and PPRS houses. We will have a meeting to decide which, under KKDW, and we are ready to help repair houses,” he said.
Condolences to victims’ families
Zahid said he had also met the families of three child victims whose bodies were laid to rest on Thursday, offering condolences on behalf of the federal government.
He thanked the state government, district offices, NGOs and emergency personnel for their efforts, and said flood relief funds have already been allocated this year and would be distributed to victims soon.
As of September 18, a total of 13 people have died in the floods and landslides across Sabah, while one person remains missing in Keningau.
Evacuation efforts are ongoing, with 3,299 residents displaced in seven districts and housed at 28 relief centres.
The highest number of evacuees are in Membakut with 1,085 people, followed by Penampang (610), Putatan (566), Papar (369), Sipitang (324), Beaufort (286) and Tawau (59). - September 18, 2025, Vibes
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment