BEAUFORT: The Federal Government has been urged to expedite the approval of a proposed RM350mil flood mitigation project to address recurring flood issues in the district.
Klias assemblyman Datuk Isnin Aliasnih said the project is crucial to alleviating the burden of residents who face the disaster annually, noting that Beaufort has already been struck by floods four times as of February this year, with the latest incident described as the most severe in 2026.
He attributed the frequent flooding in Beaufort to geographical factors, as it is a low-lying basin and catchment area receiving run-off from interior districts such as Keningau, Tenom, and Tambunan, and is at risk from high tides.
"Last year, Beaufort experienced 20 flood incidents, including one major deluge. Beaufort is synonymous with flooding. We always expect it because the land here is at sea level.
"Furthermore, Beaufort is among the 10 districts that receive heavy rainfall throughout the year. Therefore, it will inevitably be struck by floods whenever there is a downpour," he said on Friday (Feb 27).
Isnin, who is also Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, said the state government, through the Sabah Drainage and Irrigation Department, has submitted several proposals to the Federal Government, including deepening the Padas River and dredging the shallow river mouth.
He added that the mitigation project also involves increasing the number of river mouth branches from two to three at the Padas River and constructing an embankment along the riverbank.
He also proposed constructing a new road alignment in the district, the Landayan-Lumat bypass, as an alternative route during floods, as the two current main routes, Jalan Bingkul and the Limbawang bypass, are frequently cut off by rising waters.
"This new alignment will solve the issue of being stranded during floods. Currently, there are only two main routes in Beaufort. When Jalan Bingkul is submerged, traffic shifts to the bypass. But now both are flooded, leaving people with nowhere to go," he said.
He estimated the cost of the new eight-to-nine-kilometre alignment at approximately RM45mil and hoped for immediate consideration for the benefit of Beaufort residents and commuters from Kuala Penyu and Labuan.
Klias is one of two state seats under the Beaufort parliamentary constituency.
As of noon today, 1,462 victims from 513 families have been evacuated to temporary relief centres in Beaufort due to floods. – Bernama
