KOTA KINABALU: Sipitang MP, Datuk Matbali Musah, has u77
He stressed the importance of having immediate assistance mobilised whenever calamities strike.
“An emergency fund allocation is necessary to address the recurring natural disaster issues, especially in Sabah,” he stated.
He made these remarks while debating the Supplementary Supply Bill of the Ministry of Finance in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Matbali raised this issue following the recent floods affecting several districts in Sabah.
He noted that earlier this week, the districts of Pitas, Kota Marudu, Paitan, and Beluran were hit by floods, impacting over 10,000 residents, with more than 5,000 people displaced.
Additionally, yesterday, five more districts were declared flood disaster areas, namely Sipitang, Beaufort, Sook, Tenom, and Membakut.
“As I speak at this moment, many roads in the Sipitang Parliament area are still submerged in floodwaters.
“Flooding seems to have become a regular season in our state, particularly in the Sipitang area, which includes the districts of Sipitang and Beaufort.
“Every year, and even several times a year, the floods come relentlessly—the latest occurrence has been ongoing for the past two days,” he said.
Furthermore, Matbali also suggested that the Ministry of Finance allocate additional emergency funds to repair dilapidated and rundown schools.
He referred to the case of Sekolah Kebangsaan Luagan Sanginan, which suffered structural damage on December 18, leading to its closure due to safety concerns if it were to continue being used.
He mentioned that more than two months have passed, and the students there have had to learn in uncomfortable conditions.
“Classes have been moved to resource centers, laboratories, recovery rooms, and even sharing classrooms with others,” he added.
