Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Lunar New Year - Floods Swamped Sibu

Sibu has not been spared of floods on the first few days of Lunar New Year!

The heavy downpour kept Sibuians in suspense and it turned out to be another hit. Certain main roads including Jalan Pedada have been partially flooded and this causes Brooke Drive to be badly clogged up. What usually is just a ten-minute journey took me up to forty minutes to drive.

This Lunar New Year is generally quiter. The poor market sentiment and low consumer confidence have been cited to be the chief causes.

Our hotel experiences less walk-in of New Year guests. Other trades have not been excepted, I believe.

The world's worsening recessionary conditions have kept prudent consumers daunted, worrying the worst is yet to come and the slowdown might be prolonged. As conservative as our Malaysian government took a drastic step to slash our rate by 0.75% before the Lunar New Year to circumvent a harder hit ahead. This signaled a bleaker outlook than anticipated, making consumers generally get even more cautious in spending.

One consolation here is that our government is prepared to go on an expansionary fiscal policy to revive the economy. But our nation is already deep in red in budget deficit for 2009. With the shrinking oil and palm oil tax revenue, how much more generous can our Federal government be?

All the best to everyone of you in Year of the Ox!

4 comments:

长竹 said...

诗巫又涨水了!真是可怜。
住在底地方的人真是过了一个苦哈哈的年!
你的住处可有影响到?

Tony Hii said...

I am fortunate to be on a higher level.

Anonymous said...

Sibu is so far away from South China sea, yet we are still affected by the tides. I read in the news that three companies are involved in the flood plan. But looking at the positive results the plan will produce, it is minimum. I hope this is not just an ineffective plan to enrich the cronies.

(诗巫28日讯)1亿3千7百15万令吉用做诗巫首期治水计划的拨款将于今年2 月到位。

  砂州第二副首席部长拿督巴丁宜丹斯里阿弗查布今天上午到拿督孙春德医生私邸贺年时对媒体说,联邦天然资源与环境部部长拿督道格拉斯最近对他披露上述拨款。查布说,对诗巫人民来说,这是非常好的新年礼物。

  阿弗查布也即席致电拿督道格拉斯的政治秘书,媒体较后获得道格拉斯办公室电邮的一份诗巫治水计划声明。

  在第九大马计划下的诗巫首期治水计划,将于2009年2 月9 日开始至2012年2 月8 日完成,为期36个月。

  首期治水计划交给3 个公司联营,即:Dwimula Bina有限公司, Hock Seng Lee公司及 Nomisual有限公司。

  这项治水计划工程包括填高南兰律上段2.8公里长的路段,道路两边的水沟加宽,并兴建成为暗渠,充作行人道。

  此外,南兰律上段将设置3 处水闸和2 处抽水站。这项工程完成后,南兰律上段受水患影响的面积将从现有的1万2千7百公顷减少到1万1千7百17公顷。每年水患的次数也会从5 次减到4 次,财物损失或破坏也会从3 千万减少到2 千7 百70万。

  一旦严重水患发生,需要疏散的灾民人数也会减少,尤其是沿着拉让江和伊干江低洼地区居住的5 万民众,大约只有4 万6 千1 百29人需要疏散。

Tony Hii said...

We need a workable flood mitigation plan.