Salim-Stabau cut off from road network due to worsening Sibu floods, Dudong rep calls for urgent action

Tiong wades through flood waters in Sibu recently. Photo taken from his Facebook page.

By DayakDaily Team

SIBU, Aug 25: Sibu floods have worsened, with many areas, especially in Salim-Stabau, cut off from the road network, making it difficult for the residents to contact the outside world.

In stating this, Bintulu MP Dato Seri Tiong King Sing described the Sibu floods as one of the most severe and had the highest water levels among the disaster areas he had personally inspected.

He also said it is hard to imagine how dangerous and terrifying the situation is for the residents, especially for children, the elderly and vulnerable women.

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

“It’s reported that teachers and students were trapped in a remote school for more than 10 hours before they were rescued,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday (Aug 24).

Tiong, who is Dudong assemblyman, further said he has personally visited the affected households recently, sharing that even though the water level reached chest height, he and his team had insisted on wading through because they had to ensure that 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.

“I am about 170cm tall, and even I found it difficult to move through 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. Are we just going to stand by and watch them suffer?

“I once again urge the relevant authorities, especially the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID), to obtain data from riverbed surveys quickly and immediately begin urgent dredging works to alleviate the flash flood problems in Sibu,” he added. — DayakDaily