KUCHING: All government departments and agencies under the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) are very well prepared to handle the monsoon season, especially with their formal organisational structure in place.
Deputy Premier Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian in a press conference said all the preparations for flood season, are ready and everyone has been briefed on the tasks.
“The most important thing is the formal organisational structure during disasters and it includes evacuation works.
“In Sarawak, floods are common and our organisational structure is more or less being practised all the time.
“All of the department agencies are working very closely and they are constantly updating almost instantaneously in our own WhatsApp group on the situation on the ground,” he said after launching the Bomba Community Learning Centre (CLC) at Batu Lintang fire station yesterday.
In terms of assisting (the affected families), the state is very well prepared with it every year and it turned out to be a good routine with the support service.
Sim who is the Minister of Public Health, Local Government and Housing, also called on the public to play their role in preparing themselves and not just depend on the government for help, in the event of a flood.
“When everyone does their role during this time, we will get through the challenges together. No one is a fan of floods and nobody like the inconveniences.
“When floods happen, you want everybody to be safe,” he said.
He also urged the local authority councils to do their part and clear the drains and other works to minimise flash floods.
Sim also noted that there are things which are beyond human control such as the amount of rainwater in the drains.
“That will require the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) to look into the drains which were built 50 years ago.
“Those drains may not be enough to withstand the current amount of rainwater later,” he said.
