Yong Teck Lee
KOTA KINABALU: The flood gates and pumps at Likas are in good working order, said elected assemblyman Datuk Yong Teck Lee.
“I have confirmed with the Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) that the gates and pumps at Likas are in good working order,” said Yong who is also the president of Sabah Progressive Party in a statement on Sunday.
He was responding to the call of Kota Kinabalu member of parliament Chan Foong Hin to the DID whether the gates and pumps at Likas are properly maintained and in good working order following the flash floods in the city on Friday.
According to Yong, the flood gate and pump visited by Chan on Saturday serve Dah Yeh Villa, Damai, Likas Park and Likas Jaya and adjoining areas which were not flooded during the downpour on Friday.
The sudden rise of water levels along Jalan Tuaran was due to localised backlog of rainwater. But the overall flood mitigation system, including the Likas flood gates and pumps, built in 1988, are still working reasonably well.
“I last visited the facilities in June 2020 during the last floods in Penampang. The people of Kota Kinabalu thank the MP, Chan Foong Hin, for visiting the gate and pumps but he went to the wrong place. He also wrongly implicated that the DID was not doing its work in upkeeping the gate and pumps. He implied that it was the failure of DID to maintain the gates and pumps that caused the floods. Such erroneous statements are grossly unfair to the hardworking staff of DID who keep a round-the-clock watch at the gate and pumphouse.
“In fact, the flooded areas were in Kampung Likas, further to the north of the Likas flood basin. Although the name is Kampung Likas, that area has been located within the parliamentary constituency of Sepanggar (previously Gaya). That area is no longer a part of the parliamentary constituency of Kota Kinabalu ever since 1999,” said Yong.
He urged elected representatives to know their areas well so that they do not pay attention to the wrong areas and make wrong statements that embarrass themselves.
“In July 2019, the DAP representative for Likas constituency, Tan Lee Fatt, had mistaken that a land encroachment by a land grab group abusing the name of the TYT (Head of State) at Kurol Melangi was in his Likas constituency. In fact, Kurol Melangi is located within the Kampung Likas in the state constituency of Karambunai, not Likas. The land grab leaders had put up Parti Warisan flags at the site in Kurol Melangi,” he said.
Chan said on Saturday that the flash floods could have been prevented with a properly functioning floodgate and pump.
He asked the DID to confirm if the floodgate and pump in Likas were properly maintained and properly functioning during the floods.
“Even though heavy downpour occurred during high tide could be the reason which contributed to the recent flash flood, it could have been mitigated with a properly functioning floodgate and pump,” he said.
Friday’s flash floods had hit Likas area. Many sections of Jalan Tuaran, Jalan Teluk Likas and Jalan Tun Fuad Stephens main roads were reported flooded, with motorists stuck in jams that built up after office hours.
Most residents affected by the flash floods in this area said such floods were never seen in their locality before. Another area badly hit was Kolombong.
The houses of Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun and former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak in Likas were also inundated by floodwaters.