The vicinity of Bukit Kolam along Miri-Marudi road under several inches of floodwater.
MIRI: The vicinity of Bukit Kolam along Miri-Marudi road here was hit by flash floods yesterday following torrential rain which lasted for about 45 minutes.
The situation saw Pujut assemblyman Dr Ting Tiong Choon turn to Facebook to blame the flooding on the previous Barisan Nasional (BN) government which he said spent RM59.7 million to build the road under the Jiwa Murni programme in 2013.
“In 2016, (then) Sarawak BN decided to spend an additional RM77.6 million to upgrade the same 43-kilometre road.
“The road is in the final stages of completion, but there are large and small potholes, collapsed side road and drains and other issues along the road,” he said.
He said that the flooding which occurred at a section of the road following the rain yesterday is putting lives at risk, and could also trigger a collapse.
Commenting on the post, Marudi assemblyman Datu Dr Penguang Manggil said Dr Ting ‘only knows how to criticise’ whatever the Sarawak government is doing.
“To him nothing is right. He does not know how much effort we have put in to ensure that the road is done to specification.
“If he is so concerned about the welfare of Marudians, he should secure more funding from the federal government to upgrade as well construct more infrastructure and also get more money to repair dilapidated schools in Baram,” said Penguang, who is also Assistant Minister of Local Government.
Penguang also reminded Dr Ting that the flooding was the ‘work of nature’ and beyond anyone’s control.
“The situation only occurs at one or two sections of the road but he (Dr Ting) highlighted as if the whole Miri-Marudi road is affected,” he added.
Source: http://www.theborneopost.com/2019/01/17/reps-spar-over-miri-marudi-road-flooding/