I never said I would solve flood woes in a term, says CM

NIBONG TEBAL: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (pic) said he has never claimed that he would solve the state’s flood woes in a term as alleged by MCA Youth chief Datuk Chong Sin Woon.

“I’ve never said such a thing. Flood mitigation projects are the responsibility of the Federal Government which claimed to have spent over RM2bil.

“We’ve checked with the Drainage and Irrigation Depart-ment and we were told that only RM300mil had been spent,” he told reporters after launching the RM22.13mil bridge and road project over Sungai Tengah in Batu Kawan here yesterday.

Lim added that even though such projects were the responsibility of the Federal Government, the state had approved flood alleviation projects worth RM405mil since 2008.

On Sunday, The Star reported that Chong had told the state government to not blame the weather for the massive floods that hit the state recently.

Chong had said Lim previously claimed that he could solve flooding woes in one term, a feat which the previous state government had not been able to do in 40 years.

He also criticised the state government for playing down the severity of the Sept 15 flash floods by saying that the water receded the following day.

“If that is the capability of a state government, then how could he (Lim) lead a country?”

Penang Federal Action Council chairman Datuk Seri Zainal Abidin Osman recently claimed that the Federal Government had never stopped its allocation for flood mitigation projects in Penang.

He said the Federal Government had spent RM2bil on flood mitigation projects in Penang since the 10th Malaysia Plan.

Meanwhile, Penang exco member Jagdeep Singh Deo said Kedah and Perlis also experienced floods but only Penang was criticised and the issue was widely reported in the media.

He said flash floods happened due to extraordinary rainfall following the tailwind of Typhoon Doksuri, adding that it was beyond the control of any party.