IPOH: The Simpang Pulai assemblyman and Gopeng MP have been urged to jointly organise a town hall session on flood mitigation in the constituency.
Gopeng MCA vice-chairman Cally Ting said the recurring floods in Simpang Pulai are becoming increasingly worrying.
She said residents were tired of facing the same cycle of flooding, complaints, inspections and temporary repairs, only to see their neighbourhoods inundated again during subsequent heavy rain.
“Every flood means more than water entering their homes. It means damaged furniture, lost belongings, disrupted work and sleepless nights whenever heavy rain begins,” she said in a statement on Friday (Sept 18).
The Gopeng MP is Tan Kar Hing while Simpang Pulai assemblyman is Wong Chai Yi. Both are from PKR.
Ting said the issue was no longer simply about funding, as residents were increasingly concerned about delays arising from government agencies being unable to agree on who is responsible.
She urged the Ipoh City Council (MBI), Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) and Public Works Department (JKR) to work together to resolve the problems.
“Residents should not be made to suffer because of administrative boundaries or unclear jurisdiction. “They should not have to watch one agency pass the responsibility to another while the problem remains unresolved,” she said.
Ting also called on the Perak government to establish a clear and coordinated flood mitigation plan for the constituency.
She said residents deserve to know about major flood hotspots, the causes of flooding, the work required, the agency responsible, funding approved and the expected completion dates of projects.
She said the government should also explain what had happened to mitigation measures announced following previous floods.
Ting further called for greater scrutiny of new housing and commercial developments in flood-prone areas.
“Before more development is allowed, the authorities must be able to show that the surrounding drainage and water retention systems have enough capacity to cope.
“Both the assemblyman and the MP are in a good position to bring residents and the relevant agencies together.
“We appreciate seeing our elected representatives on the ground when floods happen, but the work carried out before the next flood is even more important,” she said
Ting proposed that the town hall involve residents, MBI, JPS, JKR, the Kinta District Office and other relevant parties.
“Let the agencies explain directly to residents what has been done, what remains unresolved, who is responsible and what will happen next.
“Let them provide clear timelines and allow residents to ask questions about the problems affecting their own neighbourhoods,” she said.
Ting also called for the answers and commitments made during the session to be made public so residents could monitor progress.
“The people of Simpang Pulai are not asking for miracles. They are asking for honesty, coordination and a clear plan.
“Simpang Pulai needs lasting solutions, not another round of agencies passing the ball,” she said.
