SIBU: The recent shophouse collapse along Jalan Pahlawan has been classified as a disaster and placed under the purview of the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC).
Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Professor Dr Sim Kui Hian said the decision was made by the State Cabinet after receiving a briefing from Deputy Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government Datuk Michael Tiang Ming Tee.
“This incident has been classified as a disaster because no one could have anticipated it, and it could happen anywhere.
“It can occur in any peat soil area, not just in this location,” he told reporters during a visit to the incident site on Friday.
He explained that although SDMC operates at the state level, the Sibu Divisional Disaster Management Committee chaired by the Sibu Division Resident will coordinate response efforts and investigations locally.
The State Cabinet has also agreed to appoint relevant experts to determine the actual cause of the structural failure.
“We need experts to understand what is happening because this has broader implications.
“It is not just about this particular incident. The findings will help us determine what more can be done,” he added.
Beyond the collapse, the Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government highlighted the Bukit Assek Redevelopment Project as a critical long-term solution to Sibu’s land and water challenges.
He said the State Planning Authority (SPA) has approved the master plan for the 815-acre site, which is now being managed by the Land Custody and Development Authority (LCDA).
“The Sarawak Premier is very serious. RM30 million in consultancy fees has been paid to an international firm, Ramboll from Denmark. If we were not serious, why would we pay RM30 million?” he said.
He added that the project also involves a ceiling allocation of RM500 million under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) for land acquisition to repurchase ageing houses in the area.
“After land acquisition, we will reclassify which areas are suitable for development and which are not, as this is the largest peat soil area here,” he said.
Datuk Amar Dr Sim stressed that flood mitigation efforts in Sibu require close cooperation between the state and federal governments.
He therefore urged local Members of Parliament (MPs) to play their part in securing allocations from Kuala Lumpur, making reference to the RM2.4 billion successfully obtained by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Amar Fadillah Yusof for flood mitigation projects in Kuching.
“Our MPs must also play their role. Flood mitigation is highly complex and only experts can manage it,” he said, adding that the state government is now awaiting the Sarawak Premier to officially launch the Sibu master plan. -UKASnews
