High hope for Tawau Flood Mitigation Project – Christina Liew

A flood victim of Kg Rawa Rawa using a makeshift float to get out of the village.

2 November 2022

By Wartawan Nabalu News

TAWAU: Incumbent Tawau MP Datuk Christina Liew hopes the Tawau Flood Mitigation Project (Packages 3 and 4) is being implemented according to the approved plan and specifications.

She said the packages are currently being implemented in the district, and should help alleviate the longstanding flood problem here.

Package 3 of the Sungai Tawau Flood Mitigation Plan involves downstream widening and deepening of the river-mouth, and upgrading of the Apas Bridge.

Package 4 entails expansion of the estuary from the Sungai Rakis outlet right up to the estuary of Sungai Tawau.

"I had raised the flood issue in Parliament (Dewan Rakyat) a few times. In July this year, I was informed by the Environment and Water Minister Dato' Sri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man that his ministry had provided an allocation of RM50 million for implementation of Packages 3 and 4.

Chan, Lim and Putra at the site of an overflowing monsoon drain at Kg Rawa Rawa

"I had again and again urged the Government to expedite the flood mitigation project, and implement Packages 1 and 2 as well for a total solution to the flood woes.

"Still, Sungai Tawau had reportedly overflowed its banks and caused the deluge again," Liew said in a statement on Tuesday, in the wake of flash floods at various places in the Tawau parliamentary constituency on Monday night.

According to her, the Tawau Parliamentary People's Service Centre had also alerted the relevant authorities each time a flash flood occurred on previous occasions.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary liaison officers Robert Penggai, Putra Andon, Steven Chan and Lim Fui Keong represented the incumbent MP in checking out the situation at different locations and visiting the homes of flood victims. "I am in Kota Kinabalu to look into election matters, and will be back in Tawau today (Wednesday)," she said.

Flooded areas included Kg Rawa Rawa, Taman Tawau, Kg Damai and Kg Saddani. At Kg Titingan, a resident complained that strong winds and heavy rains caused a tree to fall on the roof of his house.