by DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Jan 17: Village and community leaders (KMKK), particularly longhouse chiefs, are urged to verify land status and site suitability before any longhouse construction begins, to reduce the risk of flooding and other disasters.
According to a Sarawak Public Communications Unit (UKAS) report, Minister for Food Industry, Commodity and Regional Development, Dato Sri Dr Stephen Rundi Utom, pointed out that constructing homes without meticulous planning, especially in low-lying areas near riverbanks, exposes residents to the threat of flooding and other unforeseen incidents.
He stressed that every proposed housing project should be referred to the District Office to ensure the land’s status and suitability are officially vetted before construction commences.
“This is of paramount importance; we must ensure that houses are not built in high-risk areas, which ultimately creates avoidable hardships for the residents themselves,” he said, during the presentation ceremony for the Minor Rural Project (MRP) grants for the Kemena constituency, held at the Bintulu Division Agriculture Department yesterday (Jan 16).
He also emphasised the importance of community cooperation and strict adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to mitigate the impact of disasters, which he noted have become increasingly frequent in recent years.
Meanwhile, during the event, 20 recipients were awarded grants totalling RM352,000 under the final phase of the 2025 MRP disbursement for the Kemena constituency.
Also in attendance were the chairman of the Bintulu Division Disaster Management Committee and Bintulu Resident Datu Nyurak Keti, Sebauh District Officer Thaddeus Ling, and Political Secretary to the Premier of Sarawak Collin Patan. – DayakDaily
