JULY 9, 2024
**Datuk Ignatius Dorell Leiking [Moyog]:** Thank you and kotohuadan, Datuk Speaker. I want to refer to a response I received in December 2021, when the Moyog Assembly Member asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, which is responsible for the flooding problems in Sabah. In its response, Moyog had asked whether a study had been conducted regarding the cause of the mud flood that occurred on September 15, 2021, in Kodou Sugud, Moyog. The answer was that they had requested funding from KASA, the Ministry of Environment, and JPS—sorry, JPS had requested funding from KASA to conduct a study and identify how to address flooding in Sungai Moyog. Datuk Speaker, on June 30, 2024, there was another flood, which my friend Mr. Michael Law described as “not the best, but the best of all the worst.” My house, which is frequently flooded, was almost half destroyed this time. This is just my house, and I know many friends, Datuk Speaker, who have lost their homes. They’ve lost their cars; the damage is beyond belief. I don’t think the Government has even conducted any study to find out what the damage is and how people can return to life as normal. In Kuala Lumpur in 2022, when they experienced flooding, the Government at that time conducted a study and found that there were two billion losses in Kuala Lumpur due to flooding. In Penampang, Moyog, and Kapayan, I think our losses cannot be quantified by numbers alone, Datuk Speaker, but we must also consider the indirect and direct losses that we have. Imagine, Datuk Speaker, if someone was supposed to have surgery on Monday, July 1, but on June 30, 2024, Moyog was hit by a flood. That person could not go to the hospital, either private or government. So, this has already caused one person to lose their life or possible health treatment. Schools are the same. I understand my school was damaged, and they have tried to find ways to repair it. Some schools have started, but imagine those children and families who lost everything. Their uniforms are gone. Their books are gone. Yes, refrigerators, televisions, and all their furniture are gone, but some people have lost memories that cannot be taken back, such as old photos from the 1970s and 1980s that were never digitized. These are all the effects that we now know have happened to our people in Penampang. Loss of vehicles. YB Kapayan mentioned Kiranau. In Kiranau, you can see and…
I want to ask JKR, their contractor from Pan Borneo. Why did they leave iron rods in the river like this? Are these the causes of the flood that hit the people in Kiranau and the rest of Moyog? If we look at Google Maps, this is not the latest Google Map, but you can see, Datuk Speaker, some of the photos clearly show the work done by the Pan Borneo contractor. Pan Borneo, their contractors cut down all the trees and the hills. I don’t know if they made any mitigation efforts to ensure that all these flash floods could have been prevented. The Minister responded in the question session earlier. Fifteen contracts remain unfinished under Pan Borneo. I don’t know how many in Penampang, but I think a lot. The causes of these problems are due to the actions of the contractors. Have you reviewed them? I want the government to tell us whether they have reviewed the work of these contractors. They are earning hundreds of millions or billions in contracts, yet their empathy for the people is not there. Even as a layperson in engineering, I can clearly see that the way these Pan Borneo contractors are doing their work is definitely one of the many causes of flash floods in Penampang. I’d like to know if the Ministry of Agriculture has conducted a study and whether they share the same data. Don’t protect these contractors. I understand that these contractors are delayed due to land acquisition and other issues. We can see the audit report, Datuk Speaker. The problem with implementing projects in Sabah relates to land acquisition or utility issues. How on earth do you apply for these projects when all this hasn’t been resolved? How can you start a good project when you haven’t even bothered to settle basic things like land acquisition and utility movements or placements? All these basic issues have accumulated and caused problems in Moyog. Datuk Speaker, I’d like to bring to your attention. In the special allocation of the Chief Minister, I don’t have it here, but there was an increase in the special allocation to four, 500 thousand from three million. This is the touch of love. I heard Kapayan mention that there was also a special allocation given to their government assembly members. We don’t have that. I am not complaining. We chose to represent the people; no one forced us. But when disasters like this occur, I think the government must lend us help immediately. If not to me, then give it to your UPPM or DO. Let them audit every single penny they spend. Datuk Speaker, there are so many things I would like to say here, that I want to bring up. JKR, one, two, three, four, five. On one page, there are already five additional allocations to repair and restore flood damage. Prevent, repair, and restore flood damage. It’s repetitive, prevent, repair, and restore flood damage. The total is 2.7 million, one million being the biggest to prevent, repair, and restore flood damage. Last year’s approval for the 2024 Budget was 100 million, and an additional 40 million was approved. Why do we keep spending money, after money, after money to solve floods that the government should have known about because they studied them early on? They did not clean up the big drains. We look at the big drains on the way to the airport, Datuk Speaker, and the next time you go to the airport, look to your left. The water level didn’t even reduce, even on a dry day. The water is still high. Yes, it’s easy to make excuses about high tide and low tide, but the fact is there is no clean-up. The fact is we have become too comfortable, hoping there is no flood. I cannot speak for everyone, but I think the people of Penampang have had enough. Flood after flood. This is not like ADUN Lamag said earlier, this flood didn’t happen two or three times. In my memory, the worst, the best of the worst, was on June 30, but there were many worse, four to five worse before that. Every time we try to help, people try to help after the flood, but nobody asks what was done before the flood to reduce its impact. Now, after the flood, what are you doing? Have you deployed your assets to clean up the areas and identify ways to reduce the possibility of future floods based on previous studies? Datuk Speaker, if you remember, I asked two sessions ago about the possibility of a big flood, and true enough, there was a big flood.
So, Datuk Speaker……solve the problem, reduce the impact. Nobody can fight God. I have never heard of anyone being able to fight natural disasters or God. No way. But you can greatly reduce it because you have the assets. Today I’m saying this regarding the reduction of floods; in reducing the impact of floods, this government has failed. Thank you, Datuk Speaker.
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