‘RM100m spent on Penang flood mitigation projects’

GEORGE TOWN: Under attack for the constant flooding in Penang, the DAP-led state government yesterday claimed it had spent about RM100 million on flood mitigation projects in the state since coming into power in 2008.

State Local Government and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the money had come from the drainage work contributions collected from developers since before 2008, when Barisan Nasional was in power.

Funds, he said, were running low, with reserves amounting to RM10 million.

Previously, developers were required to pay RM10,000 for every acre they developed. The amount has since been increased to RM50,000 per acre.

Chow said all 13 parliamentary constituencies in the state had benefited from the flood mitigation projects implemented by the state government.

“For example, in the Tanjung parliamentary constituency alone, 30 flood- and drainage-related projects were implemented since 2008.

“While some of the projects were paid for using the drainage work contributions, others were funded by the Penang Island City Council.

“Almost similar projects were implemented in other parliamentary constituencies. This administration is doing all it can to address the flooding woes,” he said yesterday after visiting the site of the Jalan Transfer flood mitigation project.

Last Saturday, Penang Gerakan secretary Hng Chee Wey demanded the state government to come clean about the RM100 million in drainage work contributions it had collected from developers.

Hng had said despite the RM100 million contributions and RM38 million worth of flood mitigation projects, flash floods in Penang remained unsolved.

Worse still, he said, new flash floods areas had emerged, including Bayan Baru, Relau and Sungai Ara.

This led state Gerakan to question the effectiveness of the projects.

Training his guns at Gerakan, Chow said Jalan Transfer, where a flood mitigation project is expected to be completed on Friday, had seen its fair share of floodings during BN’s administration.

He pointed out that Jalan Transfer was in the Tanjung state constituency, and that Penang Gerakan chief Teng Chang Yeow was its assemblyman before 2008.

“What was done then? Gerakan should look at its own record and not criticise us,” he said.

Chow said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was expected to announce additional allocations for flood mitigation projects when he tabled the state budget today.

On Penang Federal Action Council chairman Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Osman asking the state government to match ringgit-for-ringgit the RM150 million approved by the Federal Government for the third phase of the Sungai Pinang flood mitigation project, Chow said: “Penang can match only to a certain extent. After all, the Federal Government is collecting RM8 billion in taxes from Penangites, so we rely on them for the necessary funding.

“Without federal funding, we can’t implement many projects. We work when the funds are available.”