By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Dec 30: Bintulu Member of Parliament (MP) Dato Seri Tiong King Sing has set a one-month deadline for the rollout of the Sungai Plan flood mitigation plan, with the aim of seeing tangible results before Chinese New Year 2026 (CNY 2026).
In a Facebook post following his visit to several flood-prone “red zone” areas together with relevant authorities, Tiong said he had instructed all agencies involved to immediately discuss measures to deepen the river channel.
“I have instructed all agencies to immediately discuss measures to deepen the river channel, and they will hold a coordination meeting and present a practical improvement plan within one month. The aim is to see tangible results before Chinese New Year 2026.”
He explained that as the land involved falls under different authorities, he had directed the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID), the Land and Survey Department, the Bintulu Development Authority (BDA) and the Sarawak Housing Development Corporation (HDC) to form a cross-department task force.
“One agency will be appointed to lead and coordinate efforts, including identifying the exact locations and causes of blockages, clarifying river reserve boundaries, defining roles and responsibilities, and working through the technical approach and execution details for the dredging works.”
He stressed that Sungai Plan must be dredged using excavators and properly cleared to restore its original drainage and flood-retention capacity.
At the same time, Tiong warned that any factory or warehouse found occupying drainage or river reserves must remove the structures immediately.
“Those who fail to cooperate will be subject to enforcement action by the Land and Survey Department, which will verify encroachments on site and take action strictly in accordance with the law, without exception.
“I cannot accept situations where government land is illegally occupied for private gain, drainage is obstructed, floods keep happening, and the public suffers while the government takes the blame,” he said.
Tiong also noted that the Bintulu Development Authority has already taken the lead by instructing contractors to begin cleaning and clearing drainage channels, with works officially underway.
“I understand that the works are expected to take approximately three weeks, although the actual timeline will depend on weather conditions,” he said, adding that he would continue to closely monitor progress to ensure the clean-up remains on track, improves drainage efficiency and reduces the risk of sudden flooding. – DayakDaily
