The flood situation at Rumah Mokeng.
MIRI: Folks living in flood-prone areas in Bekenu have been reminded to maintain constant alert during the current monsoon season and be prepared to evacuate in the event of flooding, Assistant Minister of Welfare, Community Well Being, Women, Family and Childhood Development said.
        She said the meteorological department has predicted the current weather pattern to last until the end of the year, with a rough sea warning also issued to fishermen and those operating small boats.
     “Villagers must be extra prepared to face the monsoon season and I urge the JKKKs (village security and development committees) to ensure that those living in low-lying areas can move to higher ground if the water level rises.
      “We don’t want any untoward incident or loss of lives and properties during the monsoon, so residents must be on full alert,” Rosey, who is Bekenu assemblywoman, told The Borneo Post after visiting the flood-prone Kampung Pitisan and Kampung Tunah in Tiris, Bekenu yesterday.

(From right) Rosey, Jalil and a villager during the visit to Kampung Pintasan Tiris in Bekenu to observe the flood situation there.
      Accompanying her on the visits was Penghulu Jalil Karim.
She said an emergency response team under Miri Resident’s Office had been activated and is on standby to evacuate potential flood victims.
Meanwhile, torrential rain over the past few days triggered flooding in a few villages in Niah and Bekenu, according to Sibuti MP Lukanisman Awang Sauni.
He told The Borneo Post yesterday that he had received reports from affected villagers about the situation at their respective longhouses.
     “At Rumah Mokeng, villagers with saloon cars cannot drive up to their longhouse as the road leading there has been flooded due to heavy rain on Sunday.
     “Residents in Kampung Lajong also complained of a similar situation – that there was no access to their village as the road has been flooded,” he said.
Other villages hit by flooding were Rumah Patrik Libay, Rumah Edward Ekau, Kampung Bulau and Kampung Tiris.
     “I also received a report that soil erosion had occurred at Rumah Philips, Sungai Kara caused by the continuous heavy rain,” Lukanisman said.

My comments:
       Whenever i see floods here and there, it is just natural for me to curse the government for not doing enough to prevent flooding.  Floods can be managed and controlled.  But the Sarawak government has no holistic plan to deal with excess water.
      Do you see that there are two different colours of water?  One is "teh-tarik" in colour and the other one is "kopi-O" colour.  As  responsible residents in the area, you should find out the reasons why.
     In Sibu, when I see the water 'teh-tarik' in colour, i know that it is the overflowing water from the Rejang river.  On the other hand, if the flood  is 'Kopi-O' colour, I know that it is the rain water from the local area.
      The Sarawak government is as helpless as a baby as far as floods are concerned.
      When it is flooding, these YB will come to see it.  When the flood is gone, they forget about it until the next flood.
       The most they can do is to evacuate the flood victims and nothing more than that.