Sibu: The Special Assistant to Sibu MP Oscar Ling Chai Yew, Irene Wong Lee Ting, has called on the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) to urgently review, approve, and release the necessary funds to repair damage caused by the landslide at Lorong 7, Jalan Rantau Panjang Jaya, which occurred on 4 February 2025.
Wong said that although more than nine months have passed since the incident, affected residents remain anxious as the area’s condition has yet to be fully restored.
With the rainy season approaching, she warned that the situation could deteriorate if repair works are further delayed.
“The landslide caused severe road collapse, forcing residents to evacuate that night and seek temporary shelter at a relief centre. Several families also faced difficulty accessing their homes and had to use alternative routes,” she explained.
Following the incident, Sibu MP Oscar Ling’s service team visited the site and provided financial assistance to the affected families to ease their burden.
In July, the Federal Government, through the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (JPS), allocated funds for protective works, including drainage redirection to mitigate further slope collapse.
However, Wong said the repair funds under SDMC’s responsibility have yet to be released, and the project’s start date remains uncertain.
“SDMC has often been slow in processing approvals and disbursing funds. This is not the first time such delays have happened,” she remarked, citing previous cases where residents waited months for storm relief aid to be distributed.
She also referred to the landslide at Kampung Lereng Bukit in Miri earlier this year, where some affected families have still not received the promised allocations.
“This shows that the slow process is an ongoing issue,” Wong said.
She urged SDMC to improve communication with affected residents, saying the government should provide timely updates to prevent victims from being left in uncertainty.
“The situation in Rantau Panjang Jaya is different from ordinary storm-related disasters. The landslide and retaining wall collapse require immediate repair to prevent further structural damage to homes,” she emphasised.
Wong called on SDMC to learn from past experiences and reduce bureaucratic delays to expedite approvals and fund releases.
“If the landslide issue continues to be ignored, continuous rainfall and unstable ground could endanger residents’ safety,” she warned.
“The government must prioritise the people’s welfare and take swift action. As long as the problems faced by disaster victims remain unresolved, the government’s responsibility remains unfulfilled,” she added.
