Kuala Lumpur: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also the chairman of the National Disaster Management Committee, today chaired the first National Disaster Management High Level Community (HLC) Committee Meeting for this year. The closed-door meeting, which began at 10 am, was also attended by the Minister of Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development (KUSKOP) Datuk Ewon Benedick and heads of federal and state government departments and agencies.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the meeting also saw the presence of the director-general of the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus and the Commander of the Eastern Field Command, Lt Gen Datuk Mohd Sofi Md Lepi. Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development (KKDW), stated that the meeting discussed issues and solutions related to the flood disaster that affected Sabah and Sarawak since January.
As an immediate step, the meeting approved the construction of a Permanent Disaster Evacuation Centre (PPKB) in Long Busang in the Belaga district of Sarawak. For other areas, NADMA would collaborate with the Ministry of Education (MOE) for the establishment of PPKBs. Ahmad Zahid noted that to date, only one PPKB had been completed in Johor at the Taman Kota Jaya Multipurpose Hall, Kota Tinggi.
For long-term mitigation, NADMA, in collaboration with the Irrigation and Drainage Department, plans to implement measures utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and the latest technology in disaster risk management and reduction. In Sabah, 14 flood mitigation projects are set to be implemented, with two projects completed and in the defect liability period, two in the pre-implementation phase, and 10 under construction.
In Sarawak, 10 flood mitigation projects have been planned. Two have been completed and are in the defect liability period, two are under construction, and six are in the pre-implementation phase. Recently, Sabah experienced floods affecting 9,734 victims from 3,120 heads of households (KIR), who were relocated to 68 temporary evacuation centres (PPS). The floods caused damage to public infrastructure, including suspension bridges in the Kota Marudu and Pitas districts.
Sarawak's 2024/2025 Northeast Monsoon recorded the highest average rainfall of 900mm, double the usual 450mm, affecting 5,012 KIRs involving 16,670 victims relocated to 85 PPS. However, 32,901 flood-affected families did not move to PPS. In Kampung Lereng Bukit, Miri, landslide victims, totaling 60 KIR involving 209 victims, are sheltered at the Petronas Sports Village Hall.
The Sarawak state government is identifying temporary housing for these families to provide comfort to the elderly, children, and pregnant mothers while Kampung Lereng Bukit is rebuilt and the slope issue resolved. It is estimated that 1,335 public infrastructure projects in Sarawak have been damaged and require immediate repair and maintenance due to the flood.