Rantau Panjang residents urge Budget 2027 funding for a Sungai Golok flood barrier as recurring floods affect 2,000 households
PASIR MAS: A flood protection barrier along the Sungai Golok border is at the top of the wish list of Rantau Panjang residents for Budget 2027, with recurring floods affecting about 2,000 heads of households in the area.
The flooding has become increasingly serious over the past two years and is once again raising concern among residents, particularly with the approaching monsoon season.
Rantau Panjang resident Shahrul Ruzam, 34, said floodwaters around his house in the town had previously risen to more than eight metres and now took longer to recede.
“Flooding in Rantau Panjang town is nothing new, but it has never been this severe over the past two years. When the barrier on the Thailand side was built, the river water overflowed into Rantau Panjang.
“This caused water levels to rise higher and take longer to recede as there is no corresponding flood barrier on this side,” he told Bernama recently.
He said the situation also exposed residents living near the Sungai Golok to riverbank erosion, putting their homes, property and safety at risk.
“We hope the budget will include appropriate plans or immediate funding to address the problems faced by residents here,” said Shahrul, a fourth-generation resident of Rantau Panjang.
Meanwhile, food trader Asmah Husin, 65, said the floods had also directly affected traders’ livelihoods, as she had to close her stall for more than a month during each monsoon season over the past three years.
“Rantau Panjang town is no longer as lively as it used to be, even during the school holidays. During the monsoon season, we have to close our businesses for more than a month because of ‘banjir termenung’ (stagnant flooding).
“This situation has had a serious impact on traders here. We hope the government will take the issue seriously and take immediate action to resolve a problem that has persisted for so long,” she said.
Penghulu of Mukim Bandar Rantau Panjang Wan Idris Wan Deraman said about 2,000 heads of households in and around the town faced the risk of flooding every monsoon season.
He said the impact was also felt by the education sector, with several schools, including Sekolah Kebangsaan Rantau Panjang, Sekolah Menengah Rantau Panjang and Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (C) Khay Boon, forced to close when the area was hit by floods.
“Several studies and plans have been undertaken by the government to address the problem, but so far, no drastic measures have been taken.
“We hope the government will take more decisive action under Budget 2027 to resolve this long-standing problem,” said Wan Idris, who has served as penghulu since 2010.
The accused’s lawyer, Mohd Shahrullah Khan Nawab Zadah, requested bail of RM10,000 for each charge, citing his client’s financial difficulties and his full cooperation throughout the investigation.
“We also seek the court’s permission for the accused’s passport to be surrendered only after he returns from umrah. It is from Nov 4 to 14 and was paid for in July,” he said.
The court allowed the accused to be released on RM60,000 bail with one surety for both charges, along with the additional conditions sought by the prosecution, and fixed Oct 29 for the submission of documents.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has opened six new investigation papers into allegations of misappropriation, abuse of power and corruption involving FELDA and its subsidiary, FIC.
The Kuala Lumpur Vertical City investigation is one of seven probes involving FELDA and FIC, comprising six new papers and an existing one.
The investigations focus on asset purchases and investments by both entities between 2010 and 2020, suspected to involve corruption, misappropriation and abuse of power.
