KUCHING: Over 130 people from Kampung Sinar Budi here were evacuated after flash floods hit the village following heavy rain on Tuesday (March 10) morning.
The Sarawak disaster management committee said 87 people from 18 families have been relocated to the Dewan R-Piang temporary relief centre as of 4pm.
A further 44 victims from 10 families were moved to Dewan Masyarakat Stapok.
Kuching district Civil Defence officer Lt Kol (PA) Ismail Mahedin said teams from various response agencies were deployed to monitor flood-prone areas in the city since heavy rain started at 5.30am.
He said the teams would continue to monitor the situation as the rain was predicted to last until Wednesday (March 11).
"We have directed all the relevant agencies to be prepared for any eventuality," he said when met at Dewan Masyarakat Stapok.
He also advised residents of flood-prone areas to remain alert during heavy rain and be prepared to evacuate when instructed.
"We are still in the North-East Monsoon period, which is expected to last until the end of the month," he added.
Headman Robert James said the villagers hoped that a flood mitigation and drainage project in the area would be completed soon.
He said, however, that residents from an adjoining housing area recently submitted a memorandum to the state government seeking the project's immediate suspension over safety and transparency concerns.
"We don't agree with their objection, we want the project to continue. We face floods every year and we have been waiting for this project to be completed," he said.
Villager Nora Ismail said floods were a common occurrence during the monsoon season.
"It usually floods twice a year, at the beginning and the end of each year. Every time it floods we have to move to an evacuation centre," she said.
