Kota Kinabalu, Monday, 21 April 2025:
Sabah’s recurring floods demand government action now. We cannot afford more delays because the solutions have already been known to the Sabah government for many years.
Year after year, communities across Sabah, including Penampang, Beaufort, Lahad Datu, Nabawan, Keningau, Pitas and many other districts, suffer terrible flood damage, financial and economic losses, homes damages, health hazards and people hardships.
This continues even though the government has already identified problems and potential solutions in the Sabah Water Resources Master Plan as early as 1994.
I urge the Sabah government and all relevant departments, including the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) to act decisively.
Revisit 1994 Sabah Water Resources Master Plan
The government should revisit plans like the Sabah Water Resources Master Plan 1994 and understand what have been proposed then, and why things might not have been fully implemented. Obviously, the 1994 plans can be updated with new data.
The 1994 Master Plan included entire chapters specifically on floods and flood mitigation which are still relevant today.
I know some older projects work: the Likas Lagoon pump house built in 1988, for example, still functions properly. We need this kind of success more widely.
The solutions exist and the government must plan decisively and build the needed long overdue facilities. Let’s end this destructive cycle.
Datuk Yong Teck Lee
President SAPP
Ex-Chief Minister 1996-1998