Hajiji hands the assistance to one of the flood victims, Nik Farahdilla, 19 from Kampung Taun Gusi 2 during his visit to the temporary evacuation centre at Dewan Tun Said in Kota Belud today.
KOTA BELUD (Jan 18): Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said the state government will implement sand dredging work to deepen Sungai Kota Belud to address flash flood problems here.
Hajiji said the shallow river mouth was one of the reasons identified for the frequent flooding in the district.
“We will give the sand dredging contract to credible and capable local contractors that will be done as a joint-venture effort with state government-linked companies,” he said.
Speaking to reporters after visiting flood victims at the temporary shelter in Dewan Tun Said Keruak here today, Hajiji assured that the state government was also looking at other ways to address the problem.
“We will find the best (ways),” he said.
According to him, flood seldom happened in Kota Belud previously but it became frequent ever since the Mount Kinabalu earthquake incident a few years ago.
Earlier, the Chief Minister was briefed on the district’s flood situation that began after prolonged downpour on Jan 16.
So far 240 people from 38 villages have been evacuated to the five temporary shelters here.
Some 30 families comprising of 102 people have been temporarily putting up at Dewan Tun Said Keruak as rising water indundated their homes.
Hajiji also handed assistance to the victims consisting food stuff and cash.
He also advised people, particularly those in low lying and flood-prone areas to take extra precautions in view of the on-going bad weather.
Accompanying the Chief Minister were Minister of Community Development and People’s Wellbeing Datuk Shahelmy Yahya, State Secretary Datuk Sr Safar Untong as well as the three assemblymen in Kota Belud namely Datuk Seri Salleh Said (Usukan), Fairuz Renddan (Pintasan) and Mohd Arsad Bistari (Tempasuk).