THE Penang government is the only state in the country to allocate a huge allocation for flood mitigation projects, according to Zairil Khir Johari.
According to the Public Works, Utilities and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman, the state’s long-term priority was to tackle flood woes.
He said the huge allocation given could be seen through a sum of RM245,674,526.20 for 86 mitigation projects that were being carried out in the state.
“I’m pretty sure no state government in the country has provided such a huge portion of allocation to tackle flood woes,” he said in his winding-up speech at State Legislative Assembly in Dewan Sri Pinang today.
Floods woes have become a contentious issue especially for those residents from low-lying areas in Jalan P. Ramlee, Sungai Pinang and Air Itam.
Zairil pointed out that Penang now has not been sidelined in terms of obtaining funds for flood mitigation purposes from federal level compared to previous years since the change of government.
“Sungai Pinang flood mitigation project, which been applied for more than 20 years, has also been approved,” he added.
Story by Edmund Lee
Pix by Darwina Mohd Daud