People cut off by floods; Tiong calls for action

SIBU: Dudong assemblyman Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing is calling for urgent action after seeing first hand the severity of flooding in several areas here.

He wants the Drainage and Irrigation Department, in particular, to commence dredging operations quickly to address the problem.

Describing the scenes he has seen, Tiong, who is Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, said some areas were affected by the highest water levels ever.

Tiong (second right) visits one of the affected households.

“It’s hard to imagine how dangerous and terrifying the situation is for the residents, especially for children, the elderly, and vulnerable women,” he said in a Facebook post.

“Many areas, especially in Salim-Stabau, are cut off from the road network by the rising waters. The residents are essentially unable to contact the outside world.

“It was reported that teachers and students were trapped in a remote school for more than 10 hours before they were rescued.”

Tiong raised the alarm after visiting every affected household with the relevant personnel on Saturday.

“Even though the water level reached chest high, we insisted on wading through because we had to ensure these disaster victims wouldn’t suffer from food shortages due to the flood and to understand the troubles and losses caused by long-term flooding,” he said.

Tiong who stands about 170 cm tall said he found it difficult to move in such deep floodwaters.

“A slight misstep could have caused me to fall into the filthy water. Yet, the residents of Salim-Stabau have lived in such terrible conditions for years, and when floods come, they are helpless.

“Are we just going to stand by and watch them suffer?,” he asked.