2.1 Flood woes in Sabah - Jeffrey wants more federal funding

 

Jeffrey wants more Federal Funding

The above is the headline of an article on the Daily Express this morning – 21.10.2020.

The article said ‘Jeffery was satisfied that works are being done to alleviate the problem with a comprehensive plan worth RM3 billion already in place.’

Among the area affected was Tenghilan town, about 55 km from Kota Kinabalu, which was hit hard by the floods on Monday.

Let me tell you my experience in cleaning the drains in Tenghilan town.

In 2016 I was employed by ‘Underground Management Services Sdn Bhd (UGMS) to supervise drain cleaning in many towns such as Tuaran, Tamparuli, Kiulu as well as Tenghilan.

Questions we need answers to are:

i.                     Who got the contract to do the cleaning job?Answer: Some politician.

ii.                   Who actually did the cleaning? Answer – UGMS.

iii.                 Why was the job not awarded to the contractor directly?

The cleaning work done by UGMS, which was run by a bankrupt Goh Su Khung, was never done properly. I complained directly to Goh that there was mud under the drain covers and was told by him not to bother with it and told to get rid of mud only where it is noticeable.

(Note: The insolvency department has been informed about Goh Su Khung’s involvement in  companies despite him being a bankrupt and not paying creditors who had sued him. The insolvency department appears to be dragging its feet on this matter. Anyway, that is a story for another day.)

Questions I would like to ask Jeffrey are:

1.       What inspection work did he do? Just look at the flood and ask for allocation?

2.       Why are the shop houses in Tenghilan allowed to make extension rooms over the drains behind the shop houses? The drains are all covered thus making it impossible to clean the drains by contractors employed.

3.       Did the politicians who received the contracts to do the cleaning, report the matter about the illegal construction over the drains?

4.       What has the local authorities done about the illegal extensions? The drains behind Kiulu shop houses are also covered by illegal extensions and drains are cleaned only in front of the shop by sub-contractors under the instruction of politicians.

5.       Does DID close its eyes in all such matters?

If we continue giving out contracts to politicians who then sub out the work to the actual contractors the cost of cleaning drains and maintenance will continue to be high and the shoddy works done by contractor will continue.

It is the citizens who will continue suffering endlessly.