SM St Michael students cleaning their school following Monday’s flood that affected most parts of Penampang.
PENAMPANG (Feb 15): Entrepreneurial Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Ewon Benedick said Penampang urgently need a flood mitigation project.
Ewon who is the Penampang member of parliament, said he would bring the project up for discussion in Friday’s Cabinet meeting.
The project, estimated to cost around RM500 million, is urgently needed to solve the flood problem in Penampang which was hit by flood again on Monday following heavy rain.
Ewon disclosed this after inspecting SM St Michael in Penampang that was badly affected by the flood.
The school was forced to close which had affected the ongoing Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
“During the inspection, I was briefed by the Penampang Drainage and Irrigation Department that blocked drains in several areas have been identified for clearing and maintenance.
“We are looking for a solution and in my view, maintenance work on the blocked sewers will not take long for it to be implemented.
Ewon said the flood situation in Penampang is critical that needs to be acted upon immediately, which had forced him to return to Sabah even though the Cabinet meeting was still in progress.
“The meeting with the Drainage and Irrigation Department and the Works Department will enable us to identify the damage or maintenance needed for upgrade in areas that are prone to flood,” he said.
Ewon agreed to allocate RM50,000 in emergency aid to help repair the facilities of SM St Michael.
He said besides the allocation, which will be channeled through the Malaysian Cooperative Commission (SKM), his ministry will also allocate a special allocation to help upgrade the school’s parking area.
Also present during the survey were SM St Michael principal Jennifer Asing, Penampang District Officer Francis Chong and Penampang police chief Deputy Superintendent Mohd Haris Ibrahim.