SANDAKAN: A fund of RM1mil has been allocated by the Federal Government to rebuild two suspension bridges damaged in the recent floods in Sabah.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the allocation through the National Disaster Relief Trust Fund will be utilised to repair the bridges in the Penampang and Tuaran districts that were severely hit.
He said the local communities urgently needed the bridges as they were important for travel and transportation in both areas.
“This is an immediate and proactive measure after the floods that hit a number of districts beginning June 30,” he said, in a statement on Sunday (July 21).
He said this after being briefed on the matter as well as the state’s financial report by the State Disaster Management Committee.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also the National Disaster Management Committee chairman, said he was made to understand that the lives of 485 people in Penampang, Putatan and Tuaran had been affected by the floods.
He said he has issued a directive to the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) to prepare three sets of 39m-long bailey bridges, which were capable of bearing loads of up to 50 tonnes at a time.
This, he added, was in case it was necessary in the event of bridges collapsing.
The Deputy Prime Minister said he has also ordered the Department of Minerals and Geosciences (JMG) to study landslide areas near the Mount Kinabalu foothills in Mesilau, Kundasang.
This was after a prolonged downpour on June 23, he said, adding that Nadma will be coordinating the effort including identifying necessary actions if needed.
The department has also been directed to place movement sensors on the slopes of Mount Kinabalu's foothills and in areas frequented by residents and tourists.
Ahmad Zahid said the Public Works Department has been told to increase their inspections as well including identifying roads affected by landslides.
On a separate note, he said, an allocation of RM10mil has been allocated by the Federal Government to tackle the impacts of the nationwide drought, including Sabah which has also been affected.
The phenomenon, he said, was reported to have spanned from mid-March to mid-May and affected, among others, clean water supply in several villages.
He said the government viewed seriously the impacts on farmers in Sabah after their harvest dropped, adding the government proceeded with cloud seeding operations (OPA) at the end of March in Sabah.
“This is part of the government's coordinated efforts to mitigate the impact of hot weather in affected areas.
“A second OPA will be carried out if it is found that the situation has not fully recovered,” Ahmad Zahid said.
The Federal Government hoped that these efforts would help Sabahans to deal with the impact of floods and drought in the future, he added.
He said the well-being of the people in Sabah was always a priority, adding all necessary steps and actions would be undertaken if needed.
