21 Penampang Buildings Can Serve As Flood Relief Centres - Ewon

PENAMPANG, Sept 13 (Bernama) -- Penampang MP Datuk Ewon Benedick said 21 public and community buildings in the district can be used as temporary relief centres to evacuate residents during floods.

The Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives said that previously, the Sabah Cultural Centre Hall was the only facility used as a relief centre in the area.

“I sympathise with residents affected by the floods and hope that aid and recovery efforts can be carried out without delay,” he told reporters after inspecting flood and landslide damage in several areas around Penampang today.

He also visited landslide-affected areas along Jalan Penampang-Tambunan, Kampung Dungkahang, Kampung Penampang Proper, the relief centres at Dewan Huguan Siou Kampung Tuavon and Penampang Sports Complex, as well as several other locations.

“Eight landslide sites have been reported along Jalan Penampang-Tambunan. Cleanup operations are underway, and only one lane remains open temporarily,” he said.

Ewon also handed over water pumps to be shared among the Village Development and Security Committees (JKKK) of Kampung Dungkahang, Kampung Penampang Proper, and Kampung Tuavon, for clearing mud from affected homes.

He also visited Kampung Pogunon for an inspection with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya, who also serves as Sabah’s Minister of Public Works.

“I appreciate the Chief Minister’s concern in joining the inspection of flood and landslide-affected areas here. He has instructed the Public Works Department (JKR), concessionaire Lintasan Resources, and Sabah Electricity to carry out recovery efforts without delay,” he said.

Ewon said he also briefed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on the floods and landslides in Penampang during a Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) Implementation Council meeting in Kuching yesterday.

He also proposed to Hajiji that allocations from the Rumah Mesra Sabah Maju Jaya initiative be used to rebuild or repair homes severely damaged by the floods and landslides.

According to Ewon, he had also briefed Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, who also serves as the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, on the need to carry out Penampang flood mitigation projects for packages 2 and 4 to complement the ongoing work on packages 1 and 3.

-- BERNAMA