SABAH TODAY

BY SABAHTODAY REPORTERS
PENAMPANG: The government must channel more emergency funds to the Penampang district council to mitigate land slides, monitor damaged infrastructure projects and set up a stringent by-law to stop hill cutting or building of houses on slopes without proper drainage.

Jannie Lasimbang, the Assemblyman for Kapayan said she will continue to do her part to assist in cleaning up work and coordinate public donations to those affected by the floods, but it is the duty of the government to assist victims of land slides and to expedite overcoming the longstanding flood issues in Penampang.

Today, a joint effort between volunteers mainly from DAP youths from Penampang, Putatan and Kota Kinabalu, and stall owners under the Persatuan Penjaja Tamu Sangadau successfully completed a 5-hour clean-up in more affected areas in Donggongon town.

The Broom Army was established by Senator Adrian Lasimbang three years ago to mobilise volunteers to help in cleaning up public areas affected by floods. The effort was coordinated by the Jannie Lasimbang’s Pejabat Perhubungan ADUN Kapayan to also help clean up St Michaael’s Secondary School and Buhavan Square yesterday.

These areas were badly affected by the flood on 17 January, and the thick mud has made walkways and school classrooms dirty and slippery.

“A number of people have slipped and fell due to the mud” said Amir Ibarahim Mattassan, Chairman of Persatuan Penjaja Tamu Sangadau, who welcomed the assistance by Jannie’s Broom Army.

Jannie thanked all the volunteers for their hard work, donors and the Penampang District Council, as well as the Penampang Fire Department for the use of the water hose and other equipment for the clean-up in the last two days.

She urged Penampang residents not to give up and continue to urge or lodge complaints to government departments like JPS, JKR and MPPG as well as appointed companies so that they will do their tasks seriously to keep drains and water channels clean and free of debris.

During the clean up today, it was found that many water channels around Donggongon township were clogged up, which means rain and flood water cannot flow easily into the main drains. Hawkers complained many of their food products and furniture were damaged because they were soaked too long in trapped flood water.