Kota Kinabalu: Residents of Kg Rampayan are urging the State government to intervene and resolve recurring severe flash floods.
Darau assemblyman Azhar bin Datuk Matussin said the village again fell victim to flash floods, following heavy rainfall on April 11 and residents are demanding real action from the government, not empty promises.
He said the recurring disaster has now become an almost a “scheduled event” every time it rains which residents blame on severe failure in infrastructure planning and accountability.
“Normally, it will take two to three hours of rain for flooding to happen—but last Friday (April 11), floods struck in just one hour. “Villagers are voicing growing frustration over what they see as years of broken promises and a lack of concrete action.
“They contacted me via phone calls, WhatsApp, or in person to express their frustration and ask me to raise their concerns. “They are deeply disappointed, frustrated and angry at the government for failing to resolve this issue.
“They say the situation is worse than before the flood mitigation project was initiated. “In the past, the river was deep enough for fishermen to reach the sea. Now, it’s so shallow that even that is no longer possible,” Azhar said.
Azhar called for immediate government response by laying out five pressing demands as below:- Immediate repair and upgrading of the village drainage system, with a clear implementation timeline. A comprehensive plan to address flooding in low-lying areas, and stop asking the people to be patient because they are tired of waiting. Effective, long-term flood infrastructure, not substandard or incomplete projects. The residents do not want half-baked projects or sloppy work. Transparent allocation of flood relief funds, questioning where billions in past budget announcements have gone. Decisive government action, warning that failure to act could spark wider public demands for systemic change.
Azhar cited three reasoned for the worsened flooding: Erosion and narrowing of the main river near Jalan UMS, where the river mouth has become clogged and shallow. An undersized bridge near the Islamic cemetery in Kg Rampayan, which restricts water flow and causes rapid overflow during rains. Ineffective maintenance along Sungai Sebagon, where dredged silt was left on the riverbanks instead of being removed, posing further risks to residents.
He said the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS) has to act immediately by invoking a ‘Sabah State Ministry of Finance Circular No. 03/2018’, which allows for emergency spending in disaster situations.
“I refer to Sabah State Ministry of Finance Circular No. 03/2018, titled ‘Guidelines on Emergency Expenditure under Treasury Instruction 55 and Procurement under Treasury Instruction 173.2.’
“On page 2, under clause 3: Definition of Emergency (3.1): An emergency is an urgent or extraordinary event requiring immediate action to avoid jeopardizing public interest, disrupt essential government services, cause further damage, or spread of disease.
Examples under 3.1.1 include: natural disasters, severe flooding, haze, earthquakes, landslides, storms/typhoons, and other similar emergencies that require restoration, repairs, supplies, and services.
“Referring to this Circular No. 03/2018, the floods in Rampayan are extraordinary floods qualify as an emergency due to their repeated occurrence and severity—sometimes up to 20 times in a year
“They also clearly fall under the examples in 3.1.1, such as natural disasters and severe flooding,” Azhar said.
If no budget is currently allocated to fix this issue, the DID Director should use this circular as a mechanism to solve the floods in Kg Rampayan.
“If this circular was used for the Ranau earthquake and the collapsed water tank in Pulau Gaya, why can’t it be applied here in Rampayan? And why hasn’t National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) funding been used?” Azhar said.
“Kg Rampayan residents appreciate emergency food baskets. But what they really want is a permanent solutions and preventive measures.”
Azhar congratulated the State government for approving free Insurance Protection Scheme which offers coverage of up to RM10,000 along with a death benefit of RM500, for a period of three years from May 1, 2025 to April 30, 2028, which is expected to benefit approximately 3.5 million residents in Sabah.
“However, people on the ground have several important questions to ensure effective implementation of the scheme.
“As of April 11, 2025, according to information I received from the National Registration Department (NRD), the population of Sabah stands at 3.87 million, compared to the stated figure of 3.5 million.
“So what will happen to the remaining 370,000 people in terms of their eligibility for this scheme?” he asked.
Azhar said the scheme being introduced here is very similar to the INSAN Scheme (Selangor General Insurance Scheme) in which registration is done through a mobile application.
While in Sabah, he said it was informed that registration will be done automatically for eligible individuals.
“This raises the question: what medium or method can the public use to check whether their names are listed in the scheme’s database?
“Lastly, is the implementing agency, Progressive Insurance Berhad—a government-owned company. Is it truly ready, both administratively and logistically, to handle the rollout of a scheme of this scale, which is set to begin in just 15 days from now?
