• WORST FLOOD: Sacred Heart Secondary School in Sibu inundated by floods on December 12, 2007. There will be more floods like this if global warming is not mitigated.

In a press statement received here yesterday, Tiong, who is also the State Central Liaison Chief of SPDP, said he had received a lot of complaints from the people in the region, adding that when they heard of the rain coming, they would become fearful.

He said the people had complaint that the issue of flood mitigation had been much talked about as early as 2001, but, until now, no plan had been put into action.

"The people are tired of hearing about all the discussions and the planning now."

He hoped the Sarawak DID would wake up because the problem had been dragged on for too long.

"The department has spoken against river dredging as a solution because they said when the sand and soil was dredged, the dredged part of the river would be filled up again in three to six months.

"But, does this mean we should just sit there and wait, and let let the situation worsened?"
Tiong said he grew up by the Rejang River himself, and he understood the fear the people were encountering.

He suggested the DID personnel go to the ground study.

"Go to Kapit. Take a boat ride down and see how serious the problem is. Identify those spots where siltation has been serious. See the problem for yourself, and not just sit in an air-conditioned office receiving reports."

Tiong recalled that when he was a teenager, there were two water routes passable by boats near Paradom. "Now, there is only one."

For the spot where it was impassable now, the SPDP supervisor said a land mass had formed. "Now, you can even play football there," he said.

He suggested that while the DID was waiting for the flood mitigation plan to take off, do something first. "Dredge the river of the sand and soil.

"Why not work this out with the private sectors? If there is a need, the government can consider opening the river for free dredging."

If there were those who were interested, but, lacked the fund, he said the  government could even consider subsidising them to save Sibu from the frequent floods.

On the building of bunds, Tiong questioned whether this would be the best option.

"The project costs a mammoth sum. What if it fails? We must bear in mind that this money has come from the people."

Tiong felt such a project must also involve the study of its impact on the environment.
He asked whether the bunds would alter the geography of Sibu and affect the environment and the ecological system.

"Is there a danger of putting Sibu "at the bottom of the valley" when its sides are raised in the building of the bunds? If this happens, what about the drainage system of the town then?"