By Nur Ashikin Louis
KUCHING, Nov 13: P195 Bandar Kuching incumbent Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen (PH-DAP) refuted Eric Tay Tze Kok’s (GPS-SUPP) allegation that the RM150 million flood mitigation project in Bandar Kuching was cut by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.
The project is known as Pembangunan Lembangan Sungai Bersepadu (PLSB) Sungai Sarawak.
Dr Yii clarified that during the Parliament sitting at the end of 2019, the then Minister of Water, Land and Natural Resources Dr Xavier Jayakumar Arulanandam had revealed that the money had been released to the implementing agency Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID)Â under the Sarawak government at the end of 2018.
“I have personally met DID over this matter twice and they have confirmed that the money is there. The procedure is that they need to conduct project planning, tendering process and appointment of contractors.
“Technically at that time, it should be finalised in Nov 2019 and the detailed designing process including land acquisition and investigation was to be carried out from Dec 2019 to Dec 2020, while the physical construction was supposed to start in 2021 and expected to take four years.
“However in my last meeting with DID chief — beginning this year, the whole project was delayed because the tender was only awarded in Feb 2022. This means the project has been delayed so long by the Sarawak government and the issue is not the cancellation of RM150 million,” he said during DAP’s 15th General Election (GE15) daily press conference broadcast live on DAP Sarawak’s Facebook page earlier today.
He was responding to Tay’s statement published in a local Chinese daily today where Tay had alleged “had the RM150 million allocation not been cut by PH government, there would not be flash flood problem in Kuching areas such as Alice Road, Central Road, India Street, Kai Joo Lane, Stapok Road, Sungai Maong Road and so on.”
Dr Yii further urged Tay to show the data and facts such as the budget book to back up the latter’s claim that PH has been depriving Sarawak of development projects.
“If we are depriving Sarawak of all these projects, wouldn’t it be seen in the budget book? So show the data, facts, and don’t just repeat rhetorics.
“If you want to be an MP, be responsible in what you say and learn to read the budget book,” he added.
The RM150 million project covers nine locations including the upgrading of drainage in five locations — namely Sarawak General Hospital (SGH), the government quarters at Jalan Tun Jugah, Batu Lintang area, SK Muara Tuang, Samarahan and also the drainage along Jalan Kuching-Samarahan Expressway.
This also include building flood barriers along Sg Gersik, Sg Sinjan and also dredging and deepening of Sungai Tengah and Sungai Minjab.
Also present were Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen and Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong Wui Wui. — DayakDaily
