Kota Kinabalu: The Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing (FMM) Sabah said flooding on Sept 28 adversely affected factories, warehouses, vehicles and business operations at KKIP, with some members reporting that water reached factory and warehouse areas within about two hours of heavy rain.
It said one member estimated losses at RM90,000 and called for sustainable and long-term measures at Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park, following a meeting with KKIP Sdn Bhd, City Hall (DBKK) and concessionaire Pembinaan Kekal Mewah (PKM) on Oct. 1.
FMM Sabah chairman Liaw Hen Kong said the flooding can no longer be viewed as a seasonal nuisance.
Although the rainfall was heavy, similar conditions had occurred previously, but the rapid rise in water levels during the latest incident limited the ability of businesses and workers to move vehicles and equipment to safer locations as several KKIP roads were quickly inundated.
DBKK said existing detention and retention ponds were functioning as intended to manage stormwater runoff and mitigate localised flooding, but acknowledged that the recent situation was exceptional due to high tides raising water levels in the Telipok, Salut and Menggabung rivers.
It said the high river levels, combined with heavy rainfall and increased stormwater runoff, placed significant pressure on the drainage and detention system and affected its ability to discharge stormwater from the industrial area, while further feasibility studies would be needed before expanding the detention system due to the substantial funding involved.
As an immediate measure, DBKK said pumping facilities could be installed to discharge floodwater from the industrial area into the detention ponds.
FMM’s Liaw said a reliable and resilient flood mitigation system is important to maintain business continuity and investor confidence in KKIP.
“Repeated flooding could create a negative perception of KKIP and affect its attractiveness to local and foreign investors, while potentially reinforcing perceptions of the park as a high-risk or ‘red zone’ industrial area, resulting in higher insurance premiums and increased operating costs.
FMM Sabah said flood mitigation should form part of KKIP’s broader infrastructure development and long-term planning, noting that several roads were undergoing major upgrading scheduled for completion by November, while at least 10 others remained in dire need of major upgrading.
Liaw urged relevant government departments to prioritise the roads for upgrading and secure the necessary funding, stressing that continued investment in road infrastructure was crucial to support industrial growth and the movement of goods into and out of KKIP.
The meeting also discussed beautification of the industrial park, converting suitable shrub areas into parking facilities and trimming old trees that could pose safety risks or obstruct motorists’ visibility.
Liaw also welcomed the proposal to introduce a pink bus service into KKIP and establish a central parking facility at Salut Commercial Centre to help ease parking problems and traffic congestion.
On the proposed Kota Belud Industrial Park, the meeting was informed that the Government intended to lease the industrial land to potential investors, but Liaw expressed concern that the arrangement might not be conducive to long-term business development and industrial growth.
He said the proposed leasing model could make the industrial park less attractive to investors compared with other industrial parks in Malaysia and potentially undermine the Government’s objective of attracting more investors to establish manufacturing facilities and expand their operations in Sabah.