KOTA KINABALU: The Government should look into and resolve the contributing factors to flash floods where it have never flooded before.
Secretary General of Warisan, Loretto Padua Jr the many obvious reasons to the devastating floods all over Sabah which resulted in losses should be looked into.
He said with all the rampant hill cuttings, unmaintained drains and culverts as well as haphazard earthworks and development as combined reasons for the flash floods all over Sabah, everyone, especially political and NGO leaders need to formulate at the district level a combined solution for the Government of the day to avoid and reduce this flood incident from happening again.
A formulation of a policy of fairness and inclusiveness within the district level in Sabah to enable all the elected representatives to represent their respective constituents on matters that relates to public issues and concern is the way forward.
“The recent flood havoc that happened at Penampang and other parts of the State had shown us the extent of political indoctrination by UMNO from Malaya through BN Sabah over our State Government.”
“I was made to learn through the local media fraternities that the setting up of the Penampang District Disaster Committee / Taskforce had a meeting held on Monday 14.8.2017 and chaired by the Penampang District Officer as well as with the presence of Barisan Nasional Divisional Chairmen in the District.”
“Although the emergency committee was held one or two days after the flash flood occurring everywhere in Penampang, I am also made to understand that it was a non-inclusive meeting as it had omitted the elected Parliamentarian and State Assemblymen respectively from the Penampang District,” he stated.
“The presence of the BN Penampang Chief, Donald Mojuntin, MCA Penampang Chief, Francis Goh and UMNO Penampang Division Head, John Ambrose along with the presiding chairperson, the District Officer, seems to affirm the suspicion all along that the machineries of the District are exclusive only to these political parties and not to all the people of Penampang especially their elected representatives.”
He questioned whether anyone from these political parties has locus standi to represent the seats of Penampang, Moyog and Kapayan other than being a political representatives.
He added that it was perplexing to see that Penampang District Council had been conveniently turned into a BN meeting place and all the technical officers from DID, PWD and Lands & Surveys Department have to give briefings in front of all these exclusive BN component divisions chiefs.
“I have no doubt that John Ambrose should be requested to come because he might be able secure some emergency fund from Najib Razak (as he seems to have the ear of the Prime Minister) but how about Donald Mojuntin and Francis Goh who are being touted as possible candidates for Moyog and Kapayan respectively?”
In fact, being the party division chiefs of their party, these two division chiefs’ standing actually is no different than PCS Penampang Division Chief, Michael Lo or Parti Harapan Rakyat Penampang Division Chief, Sebastian Balanting, he said.
Perhaps what the DO should have done is to call the emergency meetings with all the relevant officers at PDC and thereafter, as a matter of courtesy, submit a copy of the minutes of the meeting and ‘to do list’ to the BN Chiefs of Penampang as well as all the political and NGO leaderships who would then hold their own meeting outside to deliberate the minutes of the Emergency Committee so as to assist all areas in Penampang effectively,” Loretto elaborated. –PR/BNN
