KOTA KINABALU: Continuous rainfall has left the ground across Sabah’s West coast dangerously saturated, raising the risk of more landslides if the downpour persists, a geologist has warned.
Prof Dr Felix Tongkul, an honorary professor at Universiti Malaysia Sabah’s Natural Disaster Research Centre, said residents living on or near slopes must remain vigilant as the relentless rain has weakened the soil.
“Due to the continuous rain, with just a few hours of sunshine, the ground is super saturated with water.
“This condition reduces the strength of the soil and adds weight to it, making the ground susceptible to movement and increasing slope instability.
“Once the soil is over-saturated, especially on landslide materials, even a slight slope of five degrees can trigger soil movement and produce debris flows,” he added.
Prof Tongkul also advised those living close to or along hill slopes to look out for warning signs.
“Watch out for visible cracks on the ground and slanting tree trunks. If this happens, move quickly to safe areas,” said the professor, who is also a fellow of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia.
Since Sept 8, incessant rain has triggered dozens of landslides across Sabah, including four in Penampang and Papar that flattened homes and claimed 13 lives.
Meanwhile, businessman Adrian Lee said that while flooded homes, blocked roads and power outages have become routine in Sabah, they should not be normalised.
He stressed that floods are not merely an act of nature but the result of long-standing structural weaknesses that had been ignored for years.
“Our drains remain clogged because maintenance is neglected. Our rivers overflow because they are poorly managed. Our towns drown because development is allowed without responsibility,” he claimed.
Consistent drain clearing and the use of modern equipment, he said, should be prioritised alongside upgrades to drainage systems, including widening and deepening existing drains, constructing retention ponds and underground storage tanks.
“Japan has underground storage tanks and Kuala Lumpur has SMART Tunnel. Sabah does not need mega-projects but smaller versions of flood diversion tunnels or underground reservoirs are within reach,” he suggested.
Lee also recommended installing low-cost technology such as sensors in rivers and drains across flood-prone districts to provide early warnings and detect blockages before water levels rise.
He said Sabah must also adopt green infrastructure by introducing permeable pavements in new housing estates, creating rain gardens in public spaces and restoring mangroves along the coast.
Controlled dredging and reforestation upstream, he added, could also help rivers retain their natural flow and prevent siltation.
