1. FLOODING AND THE SG PADUNGAN DRAINAGE SYSTEM PROJECT.

Speech by Dominique Ng, Member for Padungan, on May 08

On Motion of Appreciation for the TYT’s Address

Dato Sri Speaker,

Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to participate in the Motion of Appreciation for the TYT’s Address at the beginning of this Sitting

I am sure that all of you must be quite intrigued by what is happening in the political situation in West Malaysia and to some extent to us here in Sabah and Sarawak! Which is the possibility of the Pakatan Rakyat taking over the Federal Government. Lend me your ears and I will tell you some exciting news!

However, allow me first of all to address a few pressing constituency problems.

1- FLOODING AND THE SG PADUNGAN DRAINAGE SYSTEM PROJECT

I have raised this in my last year’s May Speech to this August House.

The said project was meant to alleviate the flood prone areas in and around the Padungan constituency, namely

Chawan Road (around Chong Hua Primary School No 5), Ellis Road, Jln Mendu, Tan Sri William Tan Road, Kampong Simpang Tiga, Jln Lumba Kuda, Central Road and etc

Every year for the past few decades or so they have been suffering annual floodings which would come upon an hour or so of sustained rain. And this is a situation which is well known to the government.

On 12 April 2006, just before the last state elections, the DID had announced that the tenders had already been called and would close on 17 April 2006, and the project would commence on June 2006 and will finish on October 2007. The whole project would cost RM20 million.

On 31 July 2006 in this very August House, the Hon Minister from Bawang Assan, had in his Ministerial Reply confirmed the existence of such a project This is what he said:

“…DID has studied and proposed to upgrade Sungai Padungan to mitigate the flooding problem in the Sg Padungan catchment which includes areas around SRB Chung Hua No 5, Jln Ellis and Jln Sekama etc. This proposal costing RM20 million has been included under the 9^th Malaysia Plan proposal which has been submitted to the Federal Government.” (pg 89 of unedited Hansard)

The question is, why has the BN government turned around to say that a project which they promised would start in June 2006 and to complete on October 2007 is apparently still in the proposal stage? What has happened to the money and the tenders that had been called?

This DUN session after I had to run the wrath of the Speaker and was named twice in 2 minutes by him, the good Minister had then told this August House that it is now part of the Kuching Flood Mitigation Project!

First of all, what is the time frame now? When in the past it had a definite time table of completion of October 2007, when will be the time that this Project will be completed?

Secondly this is quite mystifying. The Sg Padungan flood prone area is located well below the diversion envisaged in the Sarawak River which is much further upstream. How is the new project going to help alleviate flood waters around the Ellis Rd, Chawan Rd area which are further downstream? Can the long suffering people of Padungan be assured that when this project is finally completed, it will finally solve the perennial flood problems they have been facing/

I would therefore like to seek a further explanation from the Minister For Urban Development please!