Flood hit Sibu again, the 2nd big one within 40 days!

Flood hit Sibu again, the 2nd big one within 40 days!

The dreadful flood hit Sibu again and this time just after the general election. It was “good” timing for the BN as it has already won both the Sibu and Lanang parliamentary seats.However, would the BN cares about it now that the election is over and done with? The reality set in and the curses by the people would fallen on deaf ears of the politicians who only cares about the votes.

I was in Kuching today for our DAP state committee meeting and was at the Kuching airport at around 2:30 pm for my return flight scheduled at 3:55pm when several individuals approached me and told me “Sibu is flooded again!” I was not remorse to the sad news but I really did not know how to react appropriately at the instances. I also received numerous calls from the public that the flood is as bad as the on on the 12th December 2007. Should I respond angrily to the bad news or should I respect the decision of the people in Sibu in putting their faith with the BN in the eradication of flood in Sibu? I remember the BN’s election pamphlets telling the people that the BN is eradicating the flood while the DAP is only interested in fooling around in flood water.

Didn’t DAP lost badly (43 votes) even at the worst hit flood-prone area such as at the St. Rita polling station and the first 3 strings and first 4 strings of Uk Daik and Tiong Hua respectively to the BN’s candidate after both parties presented their views and opinions about how to eradicate the flood in Sibu? Didn’t the people in Sibu decided to trust the BN to eradicate flood in Sibu even after they had suffered for the past decade and had chosen to give the mandate to the BN?

But on the other hands, DAP still won in Bukit Assek although with a slim majority of only 311votes. It showed that the people in Bukit Assek still put their faith and hope with the DAP. These are generally the ordinary blue collar sector that had suffered in vain under the BN administration and are worst hit by the frequent flood in Sibu. Each flood brings properties damages to the people as their cars and houses are frequently submerged in water and cost them a small fortune in repair fees.

Now, what is the root cause of the frequent flood in Sibu?
It is the heavy silt built-up in the Rejang River bed which had never been dredge all these years. Heavy deforestation in the upper Rejang River by the logging industry in the past 40 years brought erosion and destroyed catchments areas along the Rejang river banks. In the 60s and 70s the mighty Rejang River used to be crystal clear and measures some 30 feet in depth but the human destruction of the natural environment had made it “sick” and it is now only 6 and 1/2 feet in depth. Now, where would the water flow when there is heavy downpour in the upper Rejang basin? Of course, it overflows the river banks and into the inland such as the Lanang areas and Jalan Kapor, Jalan Hua kiew, Jalan Tiong Hua, Jalan Bukit Assek, Jalan Amoi, Berlian Lane and all the residential areas in Bukit Assek.

The solution is to dredge the Rejang River bed of course!
That has been universally accepted by the majority of the people in sibu except the Sibu BN Wawasan Team. For reasons best known to them, they refused to accept the DAP’s proposal to dredge the Rejang River bed and proposed instead to built the xxxx from City Vine to the Kingwood hotel and to the Sungai Merah township. That proposal of the BN would cost RM 400 millions. That BN’s proposal is not workable as it does not solve the causation part of the equation. The DAP’s proposal cost the government nothing by simply issue out more licenses to excavate the sand from the Rejang River bed. Since it costs the government nothing to issues sand excavation licenses, then what is stopping the BN GOVERNMENT? The Sibu BN Wawasan Team has a lot of explanation to do to the people if it is a caring and responsible team.

How could the BN eradicate flood when it avoids facing the root cause of the flood? We in the DAP are monitoring the election promises and pledge of the both Datuk Tiong Thai King and Datuk Robert Lau to bring in the RM 400 million flood eradicating funds within this year. The people in Sibu are watching both the MPs in Sibu closely and make sure that they are serious in eradicating flood in Sibu. Time is ticking and the people are suffering in vain, so both Yang Berhormat, please put the action where your mouths are, solve the flood problems.

David Wong
DAP Sarawak publicity Sec.
15-03-2008