MIRI (Nov 26): Monday evening’s flash floods in the city were triggered by heavy rain that coincided with the King Tide, said state Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin.

In addressing concerns raised by Mirians, the Senadin assemblyman acknowledged that the city’s existing drainage was incapable of dealing with the sudden high volume of water, and thus needed to be upgraded.

“For now, I would suggest the agencies concerned start carrying out unsilting and clearing all the respective drains under their jurisdiction, especially in areas that prone to flash floods,” he told The Borneo Post when contacted today.

He also called on Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Public Works Department and Miri City Council to come up with long-term plans to increase the capacity of city’s drainage system.

The rain that lasted several hours accumulated a total of 117mm of rainfall, affecting areas such as Jalan Brooke, Jalan Merpati, Wireless Walk Miri, Jalan Miri-Pujut in front of Bintang Jaya, and Jalan Tanjong Lobang.

Meanwhile, Miri MP Chiew Choon Man stressed the need to promptly address the matter to prevent a recurrence.

“Since becoming Miri MP, I have received numerous reports of flooding in various areas.

“Upon consultation with the relevant departments, the recurring causes of flooding in Miri can be attributed to insufficient and outdated drainage systems; poor maintenance of drainage infrastructure; and inadequate infrastructure for communities, among others.

“Many existing drains are old and too small to handle the large volume of rainwater from growing catchment areas. In addition, overgrown grass frequently block drains and waterways, while existing drains require immediate maintenance and upgrading,” he said in a statement.

Saying he has consistently raised the matter in Parliament, Chiew called on the ministry in charge to allocate more funds to upgrade Miri’s drainage system and to carry out flood mitigation measures.

“I fully understand the scale of funding required is substantial, hence I extend my support to the city council to apply for federal funds, should they require assistance in navigating the application process,” he said.
He also emphasised the importance of collaboration between federal, state and local authorities in achieving effective flood management.