Kota Kinabalu: The flash floods that struck the city and outskirts the past few days were not due to blockage in the waterways but change in weather and wind conditions, said Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Edward Yong Oui Fah who is in charge of City Hall, citing the Meteorological Department."Necessary action has been taken, clearing drain blockage. We have already implemented the work, some areas where works are to be implemented are still on-going, while some are in the process and in the procedure of getting done," he told a joint press conference attended by State Community Development and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad and Mayor Datuk Yeo Boon Hai following a meeting with representatives from relevant departments and agencies, Tuesday. He said the heavy downpour is not only in Kota Kinabalu but across the West Coast which includes Penampang, Tuaran, Papar, Kota Belud and Ranau.
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"The weather is beyond our control and we hope everybody will take precaution, once you see the water level rising please contact the relevant department and centres for assistance," he said. He said immediate steps which will be taken is to work with the Meteorological Department to get updates on the heavy rain so that action can be taken by relevant teams.
"We also have City Hall and relevant agencies on the ground to look at clearing drainage blockage, uprooted trees and landslide," he said. "We thank Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman for always guiding us on what should be done, we are all working as team and are sad to see a lot of people affected by the flood," he said.
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Meanwhile, Yeo said he has instructed his team to concentrate on cleaning up all the drains not because they did not clean, but because the drains are blocked by the debris brought by the flash floods. "I will also invoke the National Security Council (MKN) Directive 20 which allows us to enter premises without permission from the owners.
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"Today City Hall together with other agencies will go to the area in City Mall to clear the tree canopy to make sure it is not too tall or too heavy," he said."The retaining wall near the shopping premises, according to the consultant and what City Hall has approved, showed that it can last a long time, but we are not taking any chances when it comes to safety," he said. Yeo said based on data obtained from the Meteorological Department, the rainfall recorded in the last two days was between 86 millimetres (mm) and 135mm a day."Normal rainfall is between 30mm to 50mm a day. Our area just cannot cope with excessive rainfall, causing flash floods," he said.Meanwhile, Jainab urged every parties to work together with relevant agencies and reminded the people against circulating fake news which could cause unnecessary panic.She also urged parents to keep watch over their children and make sure they do not play in the flood waters which could pose danger. She said stern action will also be taken against contractors who failed to comply by the designated rules, such as excessive hill cutting activities which could cause erosion. "We have been too lenient, it is high time for us to take stern action to ensure this does not happen," she said. In Kota Belud, heavy downpour since Monday caused the town area and low-lying areas to be flooded as at press time Tuesday.The water level in the squares and Padang Kota Belud was still submerged in two-feet deep with some several routes at the Pasar Tani inaccessible to smaller vehicles.
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Traders at the Pasar Tani who were caught off guard were forced to use the walkway and road divisors to sell their agriculture produce. Flash floods also affected Kg Pirasan, Kg Piasau, Kg Dundau, Kg Luminodip and SMK Tambulion which had no clean water supply from the Bayayat water plant. - Sherell Jeffrey and Gindanau Sakat
