Governing means acting now, not blaming the past — PDP following Sibu shoplot collapse

Progressive Democratic Party logo (photo sourced from https://m.facebook.com/spdp2211/)

By DayakDaily Team

KUCHING, Feb 23: The Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) Central Region has come to the defence of its president, Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, amid the recent shoplot collapse along Jalan Pahlawan in Sibu, saying the incident underscores long-standing drainage and flood mitigation failures and raising questions about the purpose of governance if current leaders continue blaming past administrations instead of addressing present risks.

In a recent statement, it said it was deeply concerned that recurring floods, clogged drains and stagnant water in Sibu have persisted for years, gradually weakening soil stability and undermining building foundations, with no comprehensive drainage plan, hydraulic river studies or clear dredging timeline in place.

The party described the current situation as having reached a point where a full overhaul is unavoidable, adding that many areas in Sibu still rely on basic earth drains rather than monsoon drains capable of handling heavy rainfall.

The collapsed Jalan Pahlawan shoplot, which housed a tuition centre, highlighted the risks posed by decades of inadequate flood mitigation, and PDP emphasised that its occurrence at night prevented what could have been serious injuries to students.

The party stressed that Tiong, who is also Dudong assemblyman and Bintulu MP, had repeatedly raised concerns about Sibu’s drainage and flood mitigation issues, both before and after the last election, pressing for systematic, long-term solutions in the Sarawak assembly.

It maintained that his responses to media queries were part of his duties as an elected representative and not an act of provocation or political grandstanding.

“The reality is clear. Blaming past administrations does not remove present risks, nor does it improve public safety. Those in office now carry the responsibility to act decisively and deliver tangible results,” the statement said.

It also highlighted the broader implications of governance and accountability, warning that focusing on verbal exchanges or political blame games fails to address the underlying problems.

Public hardship, losses and anxiety over infrastructure failures cannot be addressed without concrete engineering measures, clear planning and transparent implementation, the party said.

PDP warned that neglecting these responsibilities endangers the public and undermines trust in local authorities, noting that the Jalan Pahlawan collapse should serve as a wake-up call to prioritise public safety over political narratives.

The incident has since prompted wider discussion in Sibu over enforcement standards, urban planning and flood management, with renewed calls for transparent investigations and sustainable infrastructure reforms to prevent similar tragedies.

This has led to Tiong’s recent criticism of the Ministry of Public Health, Housing and Local Government (MPHLG) under the leadership of Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian, saying the department ignored repeated calls for dredging and drainage improvements.

This led to six Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) branches issuing a response to question the previous minister (who held Dr Sim’s post) who approved the construction of the building instead of blaming the current minister. — DayakDaily