Billions spent, yet Kuching floods persist: Audit exposes ineffective mitigation projects

Kuching: Tuesday’s flash floods in Kuching, following 12 hours of heavy rain, have once again highlighted serious shortcomings in Sarawak’s flood mitigation projects, despite hundreds of millions, and even billions, of Ringgit claimed to have been allocated over the past years for flood mitigation projects in Sarawak.

According to DAP Sarawak Chairman Chong Chieng Jen, the floods expose the ineffective planning and implementation of projects by the State Ministry of Public Health, Housing and Local Government (MPHLG) and the Department of Irrigation and Drainage Sarawak (DID).

“Such ineffective planning and implementation of the flood mitigation projects by the Ministry was confirmed by the Auditor-General in its Laporan Ketua Audit Negara 1/2026,” he said in a statement.

Chong, who is also Stampin MP and ADUN for Padungan, said that the Auditor-General’s Laporan Ketua Audit Negara 1/2026 confirms the concerns, noting:

1. From 2021 to 2025, the State Government has approved the implementation of 21 flood mitigation projects throughout Sarawak.
2. As at the date of the audit on 30 September 2025, only 3 were completed, 4 were at the stage of implementation, and 14 were still at the pre-implementation stage.
   a) In 2021 – 2022, 9 projects were approved, but as of 30 September 2025, only 1 was completed, 3 were at the implementation stage, and 5 were still at the pre-implementation stage.
   b) In 2023, 6 projects were approved, but as of 30 September 2025, only 2 were completed, 1 was at the implementation stage, and 3 were still at the pre-implementation stage.
   c) In 2024, 5 projects were approved, but as of 30 September 2025, all 5 were still at the pre-implementation stage.
   d) In 2025, 1 project was approved, as, at 30 September 2025, only 1 was completed, 3 were at the implementation stage, and 5 were still at the pre-implementation stage.
3. In the Strategic Plan of DID, there are NO SPECIFIC DATES provided for the completion of these projects, resulting in a weakness in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of these projects.
4. Out of the 3 completed projects, only one was found to have achieved its intended purpose fully. The other 2 Flood Mitigation Projects were found NOT to have fully achieved their purposes, as floods continued to occur after the projects were completed. 

Chong emphasised that it is time for Dr Sim Kui Hian, the minister in charge, to heed the Auditor-General’s comments and take immediate action to expedite the flood mitigation projects.