SEGAMAT, Jan 4 — Residents of Kampung Spang Loi here hope that the 1.5-kilometre bund upgrading project in the village will be carefully implemented to prevent floods from recurring.
Kampung Spang Loi chief Zamri Bachok said the government’s swift action in dealing with the recent breaching of the bund should be commended as it had previously reduced the risk of flooding in the area occupied by 121 families.
“There have been two flood incidents before and the bund was very effective to prevent the homes of the residents from being flooded. But it is very sad that it broke and caused water to overflow rapidly.
“In fact, other residents and I had to leave our homes empty-handed because our lives are more important. Hopefully, the new bund will be stronger,” he said when met after inspecting the village with the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) by boat here today.
Last Sunday, the bund, which was completed in 2019, broke, causing floods in Kampung Spang Loi and surrounding villages due to the overflowing water from Muar River.
Earlier, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, when visiting flood victims in Segamat, announced an allocation of RM5 million to upgrade the bund in Kampung Spang Loi to tackle the flood problem in the area.
The upgrading work includes raising the bund height from 5.2 metres to 6.2 metres.
Kampung Spang Loi resident Abdul Halim Ahmad, 76, when met at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Tambang relief centre (PPS), said the flooding was the worst since 1971.
“Government projects must be properly planned and implemented to fully benefit the people,” he said.
A check by Bernama conducted together with the MAF in Kampung Spang Loi this afternoon found that the residents’ houses were still flooded up to the roof level.
Segamat continued to record the highest number of flood victims in Johor with 4,311 evacuees from 1,175 families at 52 PPS in the district as of 8 pm today.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency