PM urged to get army to help Sabahans affected by El Nino
KOTA KINABALU: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Defence Minister Mohd Khaled Nordin have been urged to consider utilising the army at Lok Kawi and Paradise camps to assist the hundred thousands of Sabahans in Papar, Beaufort and Putatan affected by the ongoing El Nino.
Parti Warisan Women chief Norfaizah Chua stated that the army’s assistance will be the best short-term solution available on the State’s water crisis especially during this Ramadhan.
“It is heartbreaking to see tired mothers and old folks carrying bucket after bucket of water to their houses or up a few levels to their apartments more so during this fasting season, so we really hope the army personnel at Lok Kawi and Paradise camps can extend their assistance to the local community (by delivering water).
“The army’s large and powerful trucks can also assist in delivering water to areas, not only in these three districts but others as well, where logistic challenges can sometimes prevent the local authorities and Water Department from distributing water efficiently to the populace.
“I don’t see the problem for our army to extend their assistance to the Sabahans during this crisis and if I am not mistaken, the army have also assisted fellow Malaysians at Peninsular during the flooding in 2021.
“In fact, the former Indonesian President Jokowi had even instructed the Indonesian Army to assist the paddy farmers last year as that country prepares itself for El Nino this year,” she stated in a statement.
Norfaizah also suggested that the army’s participation be extended to the drilling of tubewells and the laying of HDPE pipes from rivers to the gravity water pond or village distribution point to allow pumping of water.
“Many villages in Sabah are still dependent on gravity water especially those living in the offgrids or hilly places and with Super El Nino is said to unleash its fury by middle of this year, many of the villages’ gravity water retention ponds will definitely dry up.
“In this case, villagers will have no other option but to source their water from the nearest river, that may be located two kilometers or more from their homes and one can imagine how difficult and painstaking is for a mother to carry drums after drums of water from such river to her house.
“So what we hope for is that the Prime Minister and Ministry of Defense will look into this matter and at least try to mitigate the difficulty faced by the villagers by getting the army to assist in the procurement and laying of HDPE pipes to enable the pumping of water from rivers to either the respective villages’ existing gravity water retention pond or new distribution point.
“This is an arduous task to do and not many are up to the challenge especially in going through thick vegetation, slippery hills and soaring heat and humidity.
“And the army can also assist in the drilling of tube-wells in the remote areas in Sabah, especially through the deployment of their assets such as helicopter to carry the building materials needed,” she said.
Norfaizah also called on the Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Hajiji Mohd Noor and the rest of the State Cabinet members either to start their discussion with the Ministry of Defense or do something about the Super El Nino that is expected to arrive soon.