DAPSY Sabah Calls for Government Action on Tan Young’s Flood Mitigation Proposal

17 September 2025

KOTA KINABALU: Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (DAPSY) Sabah Chief, Chan Loong Wei, has urged the state government and City Hall (DBKK) to adopt a forward-looking flood mitigation plan proposed by architect Ar. Tan Young, as worsening floods continue to plague Kota Kinabalu, Penampang and nearby districts.

Chan said the recent severe floods could no longer be dismissed as seasonal events but had become an urgent crisis threatening lives, livelihoods, and the long-term liveability of communities in Sabah.

He stressed that the state’s decades-old drainage system is no longer adequate to cope with increasingly intense rainfall brought about by climate change. Meanwhile, rapid urbanisation has reduced the land’s natural absorption capacity, leading to heavier surface runoff and more frequent flash floods.

Against this backdrop, DAPSY Sabah expressed full support for Tan’s innovative proposal, raised during the recent DBKK Advisory Board meeting, to transform parks, playgrounds and open spaces into dual-purpose facilities — serving both as recreational areas and underground stormwater detention basins.

“By optimising existing public spaces, the city can create a hidden layer of flood defence without undermining their role as community assets. This strategy is cost-effective, publicly acceptable and scalable. We propose piloting it in Lido, Dah Yeh, Likas, Kolombong and Menggatal before extending it to other high-risk areas statewide,” Chan said.

He cited China’s “Sponge City” initiative as a model, where public parks in cities such as Beijing and Chengdu have been successfully redesigned to detain stormwater during heavy downpours, while continuing to function as leisure hubs in normal times.

“These success stories show that green infrastructure can both reduce flood risks and enhance quality of urban life. Sabah should adapt such models to local tropical conditions to build a resilient flood management system,” he added.

Chan called on the government to include the proposal in a long-term flood mitigation strategy, backed by sufficient budget allocations and supported through public-private partnerships (PPP).

“Integrating these projects into the city masterplan will ensure that public parks double as vital flood mitigation infrastructure. This is an opportunity to safeguard lives and property while building cities that are resilient and liveable,” he said.

DAPSY Sabah reiterated its commitment to champion progressive and practical urban planning policies for the benefit of the people and the state’s future.