Steps to overcome floods, landslides

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Drains will be cleared and expanded, new ones will be built, says CM

Musa visits one of the houses at Taman GrandView affected by the floods and landslides.

SANDAKAN: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said the state government will take appropriate measures to address the flooding and landslides problems here after two lives were lost.

Clearing clogged drains, building more drains and expanding existing ones are among the measures to be taken.

Musa said this after visiting the site of the landslide at Dato Residential Flats at Leila Road yesterday where an elderly woman was killed on the spot when mud, rocks and a big tree fell on her restaurant’s kitchen on Saturday.

”I have visited the site of the landslides and there were massive destruction to houses and properties,” Musa said.

The landslides was caused by the worst flood in the township following three days of incessant torrential rain.

“Clearing of clogged drains has to be carried out to prevent future flooding,” he said.

The Chief Minister also said that consideration would be given to constructing a new drainage system as well as enlarging existing drains in order to alleviate the flooding problem facing the district.

Among the places he visited were along the Pasir Putih road to Bandar Ramai-Ramai up to the town, Sim-Sim area, Grand View and Taman Sejati housing estates where many houses were damaged and submerged in floods and muds. He also inspected a mosque in town and Muslim cemetery in Sim-Sim that were damaged.

Meanwhile, Musa expressed his condolence to the families of Lo Phang, 59, and Santi binti Muktar, 16, who were killed in the landslides.

The teenager was killed when her family’s hillside house collapsed in the landslide at Bandar Ramai-Ramai.

He directed the Sandakan Municipal Council (SMC) to evaluate and assess the residents’ losses caused by the incidents for further action and advised the owners and occupants of residential flats to move out to safer accommodation while the SMC carry out the evaluation exercise.

Later, Musa visited the Sibuga Jaya market at Mile 8 to distribute greeting cards to all traders who will celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Peter Pang En Yin, Batu Sapi member of parliament Datin Linda Tsen Thau Lin, Sandakan member of parliament Datuk VK Liew, Libaran member of parliament Datuk Juslie Ajirol and assemblymen Datuk Zakaria Edris (Gum-Gum), Datuk Samsudin Yahya (Sekong) and Au Kam Wah (Elopura), Deputy Senate Speaker Datuk Armani Haji Mahiruddin and Sandakan Municipal Council president Datuk James Wong were among those who accompanied Musa during the visits.