MEDIA STATEMENT: 5 March 2026, Develop Mobile App For Drainage System
PENAMPANG
– The Penampang Division of Parti Warisan has urged the state
government to ensure periodic maintenance of the district’s
drainage system to prevent blockages that could lead to flooding.
The
division’s Women’s Chief, Junny Simol, said that although the
monsoon drain in front of Kota Kinabalu High School appears ready to
face the upcoming heavy rains, the authorities must ensure that the
entire drainage network is properly maintained.
“This
includes the drains in front of the Sabah State Museum and Queen
Elizabeth Hospital 1, where the water has remained stagnant for a
long time.
“What
we hope for is regular maintenance to clear the garbage and sediment
that have accumulated at the bottom of the drains so that rainwater
can flow smoothly,” she said in a statement after inspecting the
drains today with several division leaders.
She
added that the division will continue monitoring the drainage system
to ensure it functions properly when the heavy rainy season begins.
Meanwhile,
the Kobusak District Election Coordinator, Ebenezer Edward Dasan,
suggested that the state government and local authorities develop a
mobile application to enable taxpayers in Penampang to report any
clogged drains.
“We
inspected the drain in front of Yue Min Primary School and found
stagnant water emitting a foul odor. The slow water flow suggests
that there may be a blockage somewhere within the system.
“We
also saw rubbish and wooden debris in front of a small twin culvert.
If this is not cleared immediately, it could cause a blockage and
water may overflow around the school area during heavy rain,” he
said.
Ebenezer
added that in line with the call by the party’s Strategic
Communications Unit for flooding to be treated as a major threat to
Sabah, the state government, the Department of Irrigation and
Drainage Malaysia and local authorities could consider providing a
public complaint application.
He
said the application could also provide information on the
authorities or contractors responsible for maintaining drains in
specific areas, including those appointed to carry out flood
mitigation projects and the status of the work.
“The
Greater Kota Kinabalu area can serve as a pilot project for this
application, focusing on the drainage system before expanding it to
other districts in Sabah and eventually covering river systems as
well,” he said.
During
the inspection, Junny and Ebenezer were also accompanied by
Christopher Masudal, Director of Strategic Communications of Warisan,
Jeffrey Leiking, the division chief, as well as several party
members.
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