KOTA KINABALU: Sabah cannot continue treating floods as an annual inevitability but must instead adopt long-term preventive measures, said political observer Adrian Lee, who criticised the state government’s reactive approach.
“Every year, we see the same pattern. Towns go under water, families are displaced, infrastructure collapses, and only then the government responds. Why must the government wait until disaster strikes before taking action?” he asked.
Lee said recurring floods are not merely natural disasters but the result of long-ignored structural weaknesses such as clogged drains, outdated drainage systems and unchecked urbanisation.
“These are not mysteries. Our drains remain clogged because maintenance is neglected. Our rivers overflow because they are poorly managed. Our towns drown because development is allowed without responsibility,” he stressed.
He warned that floods threaten lives, disrupt utilities, destroy agriculture and businesses, and cut off communities — impacts that go far beyond temporary inconvenience.
To address the issue, Lee proposed consistent drain maintenance using modern equipment, the installation of sensors in rivers and drains for early warnings, and the upgrading of drainage systems in major towns through widened drains, retention ponds and underground storage tanks.
“Japan has underground storage tanks and Kuala Lumpur has its SMART Tunnel. Sabah does not need mega-projects of that scale, but smaller versions of flood diversion tunnels or underground reservoirs are within reach if planned properly,” he said.
Lee also urged the adoption of green infrastructure, including permeable pavements in housing estates, rain gardens in public spaces, and mangrove restoration. Controlled dredging and upstream reforestation, he added, could help rivers flow naturally and reduce siltation.
He pointed to international examples, noting that Singapore reduced flood-prone zones by 97% through strict maintenance, while China’s Sponge City programme uses green infrastructure to absorb up to 90% of rainfall. The Netherlands, he added, reduced flood peaks by giving rivers more room rather than restricting them.
Criticising the government’s slow relief and unfulfilled promises, Lee said floods in Sabah are as much political failures as natural disasters.
“The government always announces plans to resolve floods, only to quietly forget them until the next disaster. This is not leadership, it is negligence,” he said.
Lee urged voters to demand accountable leadership that delivers preventive action, warning that without change, Sabahans would continue to face the same devastation every rainy season. – pr/BNN
