Government ready to face possibility of worse floods in anticipation of heavy rains in next one to two months

KUCHING, Jan 6 2026: The Sarawak government has strengthened the preparedness of all agencies and disaster management committees at the divisional and district levels to face the possibility of worse floods in anticipation of heavy rains in the next one to two months.

Caption: Deputy Premier and Chairman of SDMC Douglas Uggah Embas says that he is satisfied with the management of the temporary evacuation centres - Picture by Ukas 

Deputy Premier Douglas Uggah Embas said that the experience of managing the floods earlier this week had provided many important lessons, especially in the aspect of the management of Temporary Evacuation Centres (PPS).

According to him, a total of 10 PPS were opened in Kuching for the victims whose houses were affected by the floods.

“So far, we are very satisfied with the management of PPS in Kuching during the recent floods,” he told the Sarawak Public Communications Unit (UKAS) after chairing the Sarawak State Disaster Management Committee Meeting at Wisma Bapa Malaysia this evening.

Also present were Sarawak Deputy Secretary to the Government (Administration) Felicia Tan Ya Hua, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Port Development (MIPD) Chiew Chee Yau, Director of the Sarawak Security and Enforcement Unit (UKPS) Abdul Wahab Rahim and other department heads.

According to Uggah, among the improvement measures that have been identified include the preparation of a more structured task list during the victim evacuation process, provision of food supplies and basic necessities, health checks by the Medical  Department as well as dengue prevention work through spraying by the local authorities.

He added that all equipment and facilities at the PPS also need to be ensured to be complete and in good condition to ensure the comfort of the affected victims.

“Our goal is to ensure that this PPS is comfortable. The victims are already in a difficult situation, so we do not want management incompetence to add to their difficulties,” he said.

Uggah also advised residents in areas frequently hit by floods to always be prepared and comply with evacuation orders issued by the authorities.

“When instructed to evacuate, they must evacuate because our main goal is to ensure their safety,” he stressed.

He added that the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) have given an assurance that they will monitor the abandoned settlement areas to ensure the safety of residents' property.