MIRI – Sarawak state ministers have been told to set a deadline to start implementing long-awaited flood mitigation projects at rural places like longhouses, as the federal government has set aside RM 11.8 billion just to tackle flood woes under Budget 2024.
Activist Willie Kajan today said river dredging, riverbanks reinforcement, creation of canals and improved drainage are promptly needed to stop the floods from inundating longhouses each time it rains.
“We look at this figure of RM11.8 bil announced by the prime minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who is also finance minister) just for flood mitigation.
“It is a huge sum, and it shows that the federal government is indeed very serious in wanting to see the flood problems comprehensively dealt with,” Kajan said.
He pointed out that areas in Peninsular Malaysia such as in the east coast states of Kelantan and Terengganu experience severe floods during the year-end monsoon.
The situation in Sarawak, however, can be even more severe than that.
“In Sarawak, longhouses such as in Baram have floods every time it rains for more than three hours,” he said.
“Now that there is RM11.8 billion to tap, Sarawak’s leaders must set a deadline to start and complete flood mitigation projects at the affected longhouses,” he told The Vibes today.
Kajan is also a community elder of the Tering ethnic group in Baram district.
He is an experienced tour leader around the northern Sarawak interior regions, including the Mulu National Park.
Yesterday, The Vibes reported that Putrajaya has allocated a huge budget for Sarawak.
However, there are concerns about whether the money will reach the correct groups and benefit the grassroots in this state, especially those living in the vast interior.
This question is on the mind of ordinary folk in rural Sarawak, who are accustomed to hearing of big sums of budget money but often do not see the full benefits.
Impressive sum, but will Sarawakians see impact?
Meanwhile, Michael Ding, the northern ground coordinator for the Society for Rights of Indigenous Peoples of Sarawak (Scrips), said: “The national budget as announced (by Anwar) contains billions and billions, with Sarawak getting plenty.”
“There was an announcement of RM5.8 billion for Sarawak (direct grants from Putrajaya to Sarawak state government). This is the largest sum so far.
“There was also an announcement of RM 11.8 billion for flood mitigation projects, RM2.8 billion for repair of federal roads and bridges, RM400 million to support food security schemes, as well as billions specifically for each of the ministries of health, education, transport, and so on.
“The question we the rural folks in Sarawak are concerned about is whether these billions and billions will benefit us.
“Will our longhouses be flooded six times a year as usual, or will the huge budget money as announced to help solve our flood problems?
“Our horrendous rural roads, rotting bridges, dilapidated clinics and rundown schools in Sarawak...will we see real improvement in Sarawak after this new budget announcement?”
Ding said that in principle, Putrajaya has been fair to Sarawak in terms of monetary allocations and attention.
“In terms of the direct annual grants, this is the largest amount so far from Putrajaya to the Sarawak government.
“There is also the additional money in annual oil royalties and direct ministerial fundings for projects under each of the ministries in the districts in this state.
Ding is a native from the middle part of Sg Tutoh region in the Baram district in interior northern Sarawak.
Scrips is one of the biggest native non-governmental organisations in Sarawak, championing the human rights and native customary land rights of indigenous communities. – The Vibes, October 15, 2023
