GEORGE TOWN, Sept 26 – The Penang state government today said the Barisan Nasional federal government only spent RM443 million on flood mitigation projects in Penang from 2006 to the present date. He said the allocation showed that many flood-mitigation projects in Penang were not fully able to handle flash floods.
State flood-mitigation committee chief Chow Kon Yeow said the Penang Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) made the statement to refute Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar’s recent remark that “RM2.6 billion” for the flood mitigation projects in Penang.
“From the information that I have, the original allocation that was applied by state Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) has been amended and the actual sum spent was only RM443 million. He accused us of confusing the people, but he should not have hidden important facts when presenting the list of flood-mitigation projects by BN,” he said during a press conference at Komtar.
He said that in the 9th, 10th and 11th Malaysia Plans, the federal government allocated a total of RM1.79 billion for flood mitigation in Penang, the people in the state would have not faced the problem of flash floods. He said to date there are about 77 flood hotspots in the state, 28 of which have implemented flood mitigation projects. Through DID, the projects were completed and have satisfactorily resolved the issue of flash floods in the state.
However, Chow said, the actual funds received for flood mitigation were significantly reduced in each of the plans. He said in the 9th Malaysia Plan (2006-2010), RM1.4 billion was allocated but the amount was amended to RM306 million and the entire allocation was spent.
In the 10th Malaysia Plan (2011-2015), only RM193 million was allocated and only RM132 million given, while RM125 million of it was spent. In the current 11th Malaysia Plan (2016-2020), only RM205 million was allocated but only RM23 million was received to-date. Of the RM23 million, only RM12 million was spent.
“As you can see from the breakdown, it is clear that many flood mitigation projects were not implemented in full to resolve the flood woes in Penang. Zainal should not have hidden these important facts when putting up the list of flood mitigation projects. The Penang government has the right to ask the federal government to fulfil its responsibility to deal with the flood woes in Penang,” Chow said. — PN
