KUCHING: Residents in Bukit Assek, Sibu have aired their grievances to Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) over the exclusion of their flood-prone area from the Sibu Flood Mitigation Project Phase 3.
A statement issued by the party’s Bukit Assek branch yesterday said the residents were ‘devastated’ upon coming across a news report dated May 18, in which it was mentioned that Phase 3 of the project – worth RM78 million – would focus on areas in Kampung Hilir and Kampung Nangka, Sibu.
“These residents are devastated by the news that Bukit Assek was not included in the latest phase of the project. This is because several areas in Bukit Assek are flood-prone,” the statement read.
Among the flood-prone areas in Bukit Assek are Jalan Wong King Huo, Jalan Bukit Assek, Lorong Kapor, Lorong Bunga Mawar, Jalan Tong Sang, Lorong Perpati, Old Jalan Pedada, Merlin Garden, Jalan Hua Kiew, Jalan Tiong Hua, Lorong Laichee, Jalan Hardin, Jalan Mui Hiong, Jalan Langsat, Jalan Foochow and Jalan Huo Ping.
It added that almost everyone in Sibu is aware that the mentioned areas are flood-prone, but not all could comprehend the predicament that affected residents had gone through in past years and would be facing again.
“During the rainy season, these areas are easily flooded. Even on sunny days, potholes can be seen here and there. How can residents of Bukit Assek not get agitated from being excluded from the latest phase of the project?”
The branch pointed out that PSB president Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh, who is Second Finance Minister, together with Sibu Municipal Council chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King and the late Datuk Robert Lau, had previously bid for government funds to mitigate flooding in these areas.
It said that during a press conference on June 4, 2013, the state Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) announced that Phase 3 of the project would include Bukit Assek.
“This is already the third phase of the entire flood mitigation project in Sibu. All that the residents of Bukit Assek are asking for is to not be excluded from it.
“In the meantime, they hope that the elected representatives in these areas will be more concerned about the problem they are facing, and to help them fight for (inclusion in) the project.”
In the news report mentioned by PSB Bukit Assek, Bursa Malaysia-listed engineering solutions provider Pansar Bhd announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Pansar Engineering Services Sdn Bhd (PEC), had been awarded the RM78-million Sibu Flood Mitigation Project Phase 3.
The report stated that a filing with Bursa Malaysia showed that Phase 3 is to focus on areas in Kampung Hilir and Kampung Nangka in Sibu.
DID Malaysia is the owner of the project, which is expected to be completed in its entirety by March 2022.