GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government must reveal the latest numbers from funds collected from developers to build drains and flood mitigation projects in the state.
This follows claims that the funds were not used or under-utilised.
PKR’s Penanti assemblyman Dr Norlela Ariffin said a proper breakdown on how much went in or went out of the fund must be revealed.
In Penang, all developers are required to contribute RM50,000/acre to the local government for drainage and flood mitigation projects.
The Auditor General’s Report 2016 Series 1 recently revealed that the Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) had only used RM2.2 million of RM63.39 million collected from 2008 to June 2016.
The council was supposed to hand over all the funds yearly to the state Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID).
“The concern is that the funds are not being utilised to solve the flash flood problems in the Seberang Prai area. For example, in my Penanti constituency alone, there are nine flood-prone areas that could greatly benefit from these funds,” she told the New Straits Times.
Norlela said she had asked numerous times previously on the fund, and was told that the money was being held in the council’s account due to a “technical issue”.
“They said that the money was channeled from (the council’s) account to the trust account periodically. However, it was not revealed what the money was used for so far and how many flood mitigation projects were paid for using the funds,” she said.
Pulau Betong assemblyman Datuk Muhammad Farid Saad had recently hit out at the council for not handing over the funds meant for drainage and flood mitigation.
He had said audits show the funds were supposed to be given to the DID, whose director would later use it at his discretion.
Farid had said the council’s failure to hand over the funds to DID had stalled many flood mitigation projects in the Seberang Prai area.
He had pointed out that in 2016 alone, four places in Seberang Prai Tengah were hit by flash floods 21 times.
Norlela said she had been asking for funds to improve drainage in Penanti, but it had “trickled in slowly”.
“I get funds but for small projects, which I am very grateful for, but projects that cost more than RM500,000 are usually delayed for lack of funds.
“For example, I am asking for some RM1.4 million now (for a project) in Kubang Semang, which would greatly help with reducing flooding in the area but have yet to receive the funds for the project,” she said.
She said some of the flood mitigation projects, which cost more than RM1 million, could even take years before the funds were released.
“One such project is the Tanah Liat flood mitigation project, which was first announced in 2014, but was delayed for the past three years.
“Recently, state Flood Mitigation Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said they were opening up for tender and that the project would start in October,” she said.
Attempts to get council president Datuk Rozali Mohamud’s comments proved futile.