By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 6: The ongoing flood issues at Jalan Mendu have drawn renewed concern, with a call for the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) to expedite mitigation efforts to ease the burden faced by residents.
This follows the recent statement by MBKS that a flood mitigation study for the area is currently being carried out under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).
While welcoming efforts to address the issue, Michael Kong Feng Nian, special assistant to Padungan assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen, expressed concern over the timing of the study, given that the 12MP is nearing its conclusion.
“The 12th Malaysia Plan is already nearing its end, with the 13th Malaysia Plan set to be tabled in Parliament this coming July 2025.
“For MBKS to still be talking about ‘conducting studies’ under 12MP shows just how inefficient and disconnected the Council has been when it comes to addressing long-standing problems,” he said in a statement today.
He pointed out that residents in the area have been raising concerns about the floods for years.
“The flooding issue at Jalan Mendu is not new. Residents here have been raising the alarm for years. Yet it is only at the tail-end of the 12MP that MBKS claims to be studying the matter. We have to ask then what has MBKS been doing all this while?” he questioned.
He noted that the frequent floods have resulted in property damage and disruption to daily life, adding that residents are looking forward to not just plans but implementation on the ground.
“As the local authority entrusted with the responsibility to serve the people, MBKS must be held accountable.
“The residents of Jalan Mendu and every other flood-prone neighbourhood deserve timely, serious and effective solutions, not endless delays wrapped in bureaucratic excuses,” he emphasised.
Yesterday (July 5), MBKS Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng revealed that a study is currently being conducted under the 12MP to address the frequent flash floods plaguing Jalan Mendu, with the aim of formulating a long-term solution.
Once completed, the study will form the basis of the engineering work and solutions for the Jalan Mendu area. – DayakDaily
