Kinabatangan MP Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin taking a boat ride to check on the flooding situation along the Kinabatangan river in Sabah.
KOTA KINABALU: Villages and settlements close to the Kinabatangan River should be moved to higher ground to avoid recurring flood problems, says Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin.
The Kinabatangan MP said the district council must proceed with the proposal to move the villagers away from the riverbank as they faced hardship during floods.
"I have proposed a new settlement for residents living near the river. I hope the council will carry out the plan," he said on Monday (Feb 6) when visiting flood victims at Kg Pengkalan Bukit Garam in the district.
"This not only affects their livelihood but also poses a threat to their safety whenever it floods," he said.
Bung said this after surveying the situation around Pengkalan Bukit Garam and giving aid to some 50 households.
"I hope the district office can identify a suitable and safe area for the resettlement," he said, adding that he hoped the state government would help speed up the relocation.
Sabah's flood situation, which affected some eight districts over the past three weeks, has improved with only 46 displaced victims at temporary relief centres in Beaufort district as of noon Monday, according to the Civil Defence Force.
