Honorable Datuk Amar Speaker.

Thank you for the honor and the opportunity to debate Tuan Yang Terutama, Yang di-Pertua Negeri’s opening address at the first meeting of the 18th Sarawak State Legislative Assembly on the 11th day of May 2017. I congratulate and support Tuan Yang Terutama for his articulate speech.

Honorable Datuk Amar Speaker.

My deepest and most heartfelt condolences on the sudden demise of our late Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Datuk Amar Haji Adenan bin Satem. It is a great loss to the state of Sarawak to lose an enigmatic and honorable man such as he was.

But with every fall, we rise even stronger. And we are fortunate to have been blessed with a successor, who matches his caliber and vision for our land. Congratulations to our incumbent Chief Minister, Datuk Amar Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Abang Haji Openg on his nomination as the 6th Chief Minister of Sarawak.

1. Flood Mitigation Plans, Sewerage Lines, and LRT.

Honorable Datuk Amar Speaker.

First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Sarawak State Government and also to the Chief Minister of Sarawak, for the massive allocation of budget towards flood mitigation works, amounting to almost RM100M for the whole state of Sarawak, of which a substantial amount has been allocated for the Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) including Batu Kawa and Batu Kitang constituencies.

This will certainly bring the greatest sense of relief for those who have experienced the aftermath caused by these flash floods.

Water is a truly challenging force of nature that is arduous to harness, and it takes considerable flood management planning to achieve an efficient drainage system before our city flourishes into a fully developed nation. We must remember that the existing old drains are now being incapacitated due to new developments upstream and there is an urgent, dire need to restructure them and to build bigger monsoon drains in order to lead these flood waters into bigger rivers.

Forward planning is so important – similar to the sewerage lines that has been successfully implemented in our city. How else could we have ensured that our sewerage lines run straight across the city, if the leaders in our state do not have such meticulous forward planning in mind? This is of consequential significance because it is not feasible to have these sewerage lines snaking haphazardly beneath our hoards of pillars and foundations of buildings across the city.

Likewise, Tuan Speaker, the proposal of having LRT services across the city is a remarkable example of the farsightedness of our Chief Minister. Comparable to sewerage lines, the LRT lines would also need to be systematically and strategically placed without impinging on boundaries of structures and constructions. I hereby take this opportunity to congratulate our Chief Minister on his foresight to plan ahead for the betterment of our beloved city.

Tuan Speaker, while on this current issue, I would like to inquire from the State Government on the development of the RM2.9B regional flood mitigation plans, which involved building of dams for water storage during the dry seasons, as well as for water retention upstream to regulate the flood waters during the wet seasons. This project addresses major flooding issues, the kind that occurs, once in fifty years.

The Drainage and Irrigation Department has been asked to do a comprehensive report with the assistance of the Netherlands a couple of years back.

I hope that the State Government will follow up diligently with the Federal Government on the commencement of this project as it will ultimately ease flooding situations in Kuching, once and for all.

Tuan Speaker, In the year 2015, Kpg Bunga Rampai in Batu Kitang has been granted a 12-acre piece of land which could accommodate 122 affordable houses, for the people in that area, with priorities given to those afflicted with flooding issues. I wish to take this opportunity to thank our Chief Minister, who was then the Minister of Housing and Urbanization. Without him, this project would not have been possible.

Having been constantly on the ground with my constituents, I have come to realize that more than 50% of the kampung houses, which approximates to about 200 houses, along Jalan Landeh are subject to annual flash floods. It would be tremendously outstanding if we could come up with a piece of land somewhere on higher ground which could be turned into affordable housing estates for the people who have been awaiting help from the government to relieve them from their present dire housing conditions. These people, in my Batu Kitang constituency have been through a lot and I hope to be able to do something to help them.

2. Interrupted Water Supply.

Honorable Datuk Amar Speaker.

In recent times, there has been an outcry of interrupted water supplies in Kuching. Certain quarters have placed the blame on power failures that resulted in the non-functioning of water pumps that supplies water to our consumers. But this here, is not the case. One should not blame it solely on power outage, for with or without the failures of these water pumps, the reservoir should have sufficient water supply to meet the demands of consumers.

It is my growing concern that we should look into ways where we can resolve this, and I believe that we need to have adequate elevated water storage tanks and reservoirs to combat an issue such as this. With a competent amount of elevated water storage tanks, we would then be able to supply uninterrupted piped water to our consumers, through gravitational process, without the need to wait for the restoration of the so-called power failures.

3. Manpower in Padawan Municipal Council Enforcement Unit.

Honorable Datuk Amar Speaker.

I wish to thank the State Government for the extra 15 enforcement personnel that will be placed with the Padawan Municipal Council, including a much needed Sectional Enforcement Leader N41. This has totaled up the number of our Enforcement Officers to 30 personnel, and such a number will ultimately benefit the council in terms of our workload and manpower, in order to ensure efficiency and work quality to be delivered to the optimum.

4. Low cost flats.

Honorable Datuk Amar Speaker.

There has been numerous complaints from disgruntled flat owners who have lived in these low-cost housing for the past 20 years, and has not been issued strata titles.

Jalan Matang and Taman Flora Indah in Arang Road are just among the many other places that are faced with this predicament. For the home-owners, this has caused them a multitude of redundant distress and unnecessary conflicts.

I hope that the Sarawak Housing Development Commission will pursue this issue of strata titles diligently, for the sake of those from the lower income group.

5. Billboard advertising.

Billboard advertising is a grey area in which the State Government can take control and issue proper rules & regulations. At the moment,state councils have very little authority over billboard advertising except to collect rentals.

I request that all council in the state be given the authority to plan and to propose suitable sites to the State Planning Authority for siting approval, thereafter to be tendered out by the local council to the highest bidder, which will subsequently raise attractive revenues for all the state councils.

Another point to ponder upon, Datuk Amar Speaker, is the fact that the relevant council would also be better-advised on where these billboards should be placed.

6. Padawan Raft Safari.

Honorable Tuan Speaker.

I am proud and delighted to share with all of us here today, that the Padawan Raft Safari is a successful annual event jointly organized by the Padawan Municipal Council and the Ministry of Tourism. It has a spot under the Tourism calendar and attracts both local and international participants worldwide.

Due to the popularity of the event, vehicles and a huge crowd of people would throng the venue; but unfortunately, the road leading there is only 4 meters wide, the road to Kampung Git There is an urgent need for that road to be widened to at least 12metres in order to cater for the estimated number of some 2,000 people annually, on the day of the event.  I humbly request the able assistance of Jabatan Kerja Raya to widen this road to make traveling along it a safe and enjoyable experience for our local families and the droves of international tourists as well as to ensure comfortable parking spaces along the side of the road during this annual raft safari event.

The same goes for the route from the Old Airport Road leading to the Kuching International Airport. There is perpetual traffic congestion and unspeakable volumes of heavy traffic, especially at the Kuching Central area, and therefore, it is essential to have a flyover built there to ease the traffic buildup. With new developments sprouting up in Mile 7, I foresee that the traffic on this route can only go from the present bad conditions to even worse ones in the coming years. I advocate the safe precaution of building a flyover now over having to cure a major and horrendous traffic problem in the next few years.

7. Gated and Guarded Housing Estates.

Honorable Datuk Amar Speaker.

On the subject of gated and guarded housing estates, I would like to inquire from the State Government on its progress in formulating rules and regulations to enable the approval of gated and guarded communities. I understand that the State Planning Authority is not empowered over this issue presently and apparently this gated and guarded housing estate is unauthorized at this present moment. But this is in fact, a proactive step from the community and developers alike, to curb crimes from occurring, and it should be applauded and legalized.

Speaking of crimes, there is an old nagging issue about the inconveniences faced by the public in lodging police reports, be it regarding crimes, theft, or motor vehicle accidents. Despite being assured by the IGP that police reports can be lodged in any police stations, we are still being asked to approach designated stations to lodge particular reports.

Imagine being involved in a motor vehicle accident in Batu Kawa, and having to drive all the way to Siburan to lodge a report, simply because the Siburan Police Station is the designated station to receive reports on motor vehicle accidents!

Living in an era of high internet technology which links us all over the world, and with our Chief Minister having recently rolled out his Digital Sarawak development strategy at the International ICT Infrastructure and Digital Economy Conference Sarawak 2017, it is regretable that the police stations here would adamantly refuse to take down reports from any police station.

I have previously spoken to the police officers concerned regarding their severe and strict adherence to such regulations, as these victims are already traumatized enough. To be hassled much further by directing them everywhere simply to lodge a police report is just not the solution. I ask that the Chief of Police would be able to take a stand in this matter and subsequently allow that all these reports be made in whichever station that is convenient to our community.

8. Heritage Gazettement of Rajah Charles Brooke Memorial Hospital.

Honorable Datuk Amar Speaker.

The Rajah Charles Brooke Memorial Hospital is located along Jalan Puncak Borneo, not far from pasar batu 10. It is the only leprosarium in the whole of Borneo and it has been in existence since 1925. Although leprosy is no longer a death sentence, there are still residents living there – those who were unwanted and ostracized by their loved ones. There are still the old cemeteries, two chapels, a Chinese temple, a surau, and also a rumah kenyalang, built since its inception 92 years ago, which stands till this very day. There are many historical artefacts and medical equipment, along with documented histories, journals, old and precious photographs, books, arts and crafts made by the very hands of the ex-residents themselves, that is being well-kept in a mini museum, under the care of the Heritage Society of RCBM Hospital.

The preservation and conservation of all these old historical buildings and relics are very critical and vital in ensuring that our future generation will never lose its heritage.

I call for the historical section of RCBM Hospital to be gazetted as a heritage site. It will be strategically placed as part of the Padawan Heritage Trail, in a move to include history and culture as part of the tourism product and attraction under the Padawan Municipal Council.

Finally, honorable tuan speaker, i wish our Dayak community selamat Hari Gawai, our Muslim community Selamat  berpuasa.

Thank you Tuan Speaker.

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