KOTA KINABALU: Motorists have been told not to try to remove barricades at a key road between Keningau and Kimanis that have been closed due to an active landslip, says Datuk Seri Shahelmey Yahysa.
Commenting on an incident where motorists were seen removing road barriers at KM14.3 at the Keningau-Kimanis road, the Deputy Chief Minister III said that such actions endangered motorists as the road had been closed due to a landslip that remains unstable.
He said motorists must comply with the closure as a safety measure to avoid any untoward incidents especially during current bad weather conditions in the state's interior and south western Beaufort.
"Sabah Public Works Department (PWD) has decided to temporarily close the road to avoid any untoward incidents.
"However, there are a few road users who are trying to insist on removing the barriers that have been installed and want to continue their journey.
"So I, as the state Works Minister, I want to advise road users to be careful when using the road in the areas involved. Please obey all instructions given by the PWD," he said in responding to viral pictures of people trying to remove the barricades.
Following heavy rains in interior Sabah, the section of the Keningau-Kimanis road was closed since the landslip on March 7.
The popular road that cuts through the Crocker Range serves as the shortest route between the interior and Kota Kinabalu.
Motorists have since been advised to take the Kota Kinabalu-Tambunan-Keningau-Tenom route as an alternative.
Shahelmey said PWD was continuously putting in place a Traffic Management Plan during the current bad weather condition.
“This plan is not aimed at making it difficult for motorists but to ensure that we can take care of their safety," he said, adding that PWD contractors were on standby to carry out emergency work such as clearing landslides, water flow blockages as well put in place emergency diversion roads for safety of everyone.
Floods have cut off numerous roads to low-lying villages in Beaufort, Membakut, Sook and Keningau as rivers burst banks in Tenom.
As of 8am Monday (Mar 10), the Sabah Disaster Management Committee said that the number of flood evacuees rose to 4,122 people from 3,579 families from 2,700 people registered on Sunday (Mar 7).
The highest number of evacuees were in Beaufort with 1,339 evacuees from 432 families at four relief centres while neighbouring Membakut had 872 evacuees from 293 families at two relief centres.
In Sook, 1,031 people from 241 families in Sook were housed at two relief centres awith Keningau recording 137 people from 51 families housed at two centres.
