Fadillah in a photo call with other attendees of the Jiwa Komuniti Madani & Media programme at Dewan Haji Kamaruddin Ahmad, Kampung Segedup today.

KUCHING (April 13): The federal government has allocated RM13.1 million this year for small-scale flood mitigation projects in Sarawak as part of its ongoing efforts to address flood issues in the state.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said the allocation, which is currently being finalised, will be used for river deepening, dredging, and the construction of small-scale barrages to reduce flood risks in affected areas.

“We have already allocated RM13.1 million this year for small projects such as river dredging and deepening, as well as building river barrages.

“These are part of the short-term measures implemented by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID),” he said in an interview session at the Jiwa Komuniti Madani & Media programme held at Dewan Haji Kamaruddin Ahmad, Kampung Segedup here today.

Fadillah, who is also the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (Petra), explained that under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), a total of 19 flood mitigation projects have been approved for Sarawak, with an overall cost of RM2.17 billion.

Of these, eight Flood Mitigation Plan (RTB) projects are currently being implemented, with four already completed, including RTB Sibu Phase 3, RTB Stakan in Kuching, and the upgrading of mechanical and electrical infrastructure for flood and coastal erosion control in Kampung Hilir Oya.

“Four projects have been completed, six are in progress, and another nine are in the pre-implementation phase,” he added.

From 2022 to 2024, the government also channelled RM37.8 million to carry out 360 small-scale projects under the River Conservation initiative.

These projects involved works such as river channeling, bank stabilisation, and upgrading of related drainage structures to improve river water quality.

However, Fadillah pointed out that one of the main challenges in implementing flood mitigation projects is funding constraints.

“For large-scale allocations, implementation must be done in phases because the government currently does not have the capacity to carry out all projects simultaneously. Priority will be given to the most critical areas,” he said.

He also addressed the recent extraordinary flooding in Bintulu, which was caused by extreme weather coinciding with a high tide phenomenon.

He said such situations call for a more comprehensive long-term solution, requiring strong cooperation between the federal and state governments.

Also present was Chief Political Secretary to the Sarawak Premier Dato Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman.