Get federal DID to implement rest of Sibu flood masterplan, GPS told

SIBU: Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) should go back to the federal Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) to implement the remainder of the Flood Mitigation Masterplan for Sibu, said Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh.

The Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) president and Sibu candidate said flood mitigation falls under the jurisdiction of the federal government and more importantly, the first and second phases of the masterplan had been implemented.

“GPS candidate for Lanang Wong Ching Yong said the Sarawak government has agreed to approve RM120 million to mitigate flood in Sibu, which will be implemented within three years.

“On the other hand, he said the whole plan is still in the design stage. I say RM120 million is not enough. The (half-way implemented) masterplan is thorough and can be implemented immediately.

“It is simple. They just need to ask Deputy Premier Uggah, who was then in charge of DID when he was the federal minister. He came up with a detailed plan and estimates.

“The first and second phases were already implemented, while third and fourth phases have not been done. All they can do is ask for the plan to implement the rest. I can’t remember the estimates for Phase 3 and 4, which was approved years ago,” he told a news conference at the PSB Bawang Assan Branch here yesterday.

Reiterating that flood mitigation was a federal ma er, Soon Koh wondered why the approval mentioned by Ching Yong came from the state government.

“It comes under federal, why the state has to fork out RM120 million for flood mitigation in Sibu? Why did he (Ching Yong) say still at design stage?

“Why Premier came to Sibu and said to turn Sibu into a new Amsterdam and now this RM120 million plan? Bukit Assek assemblyman Joseph Chieng also talked about his redevelopment plan for Sibu.

“There are different versions of plans. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. And I wonder if they know what they are talking about,” he said.

Soon Koh then showed reporters a le er jointly undersigned by him as well as two former Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) chairmen, the late Datuk Robert Lau and Datuk Tiong Thai King, to the federal government for the flood mitigation masterplan.

“In 2007, we wrote to Uggah and later on he approved it (masterplan). He asked DID to design and implement it. I taught him (Uggah) in Form 6. He said he wanted to help his cikgu (teacher). He’s a brilliant student.

“The masterplan is all ready for implementation. If I get elected, I will go back to federal for the implementation of Phase 3 and 4,” said Soon Koh.