KUCHING: Bintulu MP Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing wants work on modifying and upgrading the drainage behind Boulevard Shopping Mall in Bintulu to begin immediately.
He said it must be before Nov 30 to avoid substandard drainage that cannot withstand the expected year-end flash flooding.
“I have received such a high number of complaints from the public that I had no choice but to make a site inspection of Boulevard Shopping Mall.
“True enough, I have seen the flaws of the current design of the project for myself. There is a large bottleneck in the current drainage design, where the flow from Kampung Assyakirin is slowed down significantly and not able to be discharged efficiently to the sea.
“It is not hard to imagine the kind of flooding that will hit the area if there is a surge in rain,” he said in a Facebook post.
Following the on-site inspection on Friday (Sept 15) afternoon, Tiong said he held a meeting with the Bintulu Development Authority (BDA), Bintulu Drainage and Irrigation Department, the developer, and other relevant agencies.
“I reiterated the urgent need to correct the design of the drainage channel based on the concerns raised by the public.
“The year-end rainy season is imminent, and severe flooding can be expected to repeat like in recent years. Residents are all worried, and corrective measures must be taken immediately,” he said.
He added the entire flood mitigation upgrading project must be completed before next April.
“Right now, 80 per cent of the project has been completed, but there is an urgent need to complete the remaining 20 per cent by next April.
“If the project can be completed earlier, it will indeed be good news for the people,” he said.
