PENAMPANG, Sept 15 — Continuous rain, sometimes more than six hours a day whole of last week caused not just floods many areas here but also landslides at seven locations along Jalan Penampang-Tambunan and even at Kg Kopungit in Kepayan.
This does not include over 17 smaller landslides in several villages, including in Kg Sarapung Kolopis, that killed an elderly man and injured a woman.
Observers note that what used to be occasional floods a decade ago in Penampang and surrounding areas, progressed to mudslides for the first time three years ago and now its landslides, also for the first time.
The landslides have damaged houses and cars, blocked main roads and made residents worry about the safety of homes near hill areas.
The crisis deepened as the Penampang river burst its banks, flooding low-lying areas and overwhelming drainage systems.
Water surged into several flood-prone zones, leaving many residents stranded and forcing emergency evacuations.
Public Works District (JKR) Engineer Raynner Joseph said there have never been so many landslides at one time in Penampang before.
“The natural disaster that we saw this week recorded a very intense amount of rain. But there were other reasons for the landslides. We strongly believe continuous rain since last Sunday is the main culprit.
Others suspect that notwithstanding the non-stop rain, it may be due to the pressure on land due to hill cutting and other human activities, in addition to paddy lands having been developed into homesteads without mandatory drainage.
“It has been raining continuously daily for the past seven days including today. And rampant clearing of land particularly on the hills triggered landslides because the ground cannot sustain the soil any longer.
“Heavy rain from upper areas such as Moyog, Babagon and Notorus carried large volumes of water all the way to the Penampang Valley. The flood from upstream also brought huge amount of debris namely timber waste into the Moyog River,” Raynner told Daily Express.
According to him, most of the soil along the Jalan Penampang hill became over-saturated with excess water. This affected the soil density and increased the groundwater pressure.
He said the landslides occurred along the roads specifically next to Kolopis bridge, two locations in Pogunon, Madsiang, Hap Seng Quarry, Timpoluon and SK Babagon.
Of the seven locations, Kg Pogunon and the Hap Seng Quarry highlands near Kg Madsiang were the worst affected based on the weight and amount of collapsed soil. Teams from the Public Works Department are still on the ground to investigate the landslides.
He said that despite facing various challenges to ensure that the roads are cleared immediately following a natural disaster, the task is undertaken jointly with other agencies such as the police including organisations such as the Red Crescent and 4×4 Team.
“We managed to complete the clearing works in three to eight hours for each affected location. It’s all depending on the severity and weather conditions. It is difficult to clear the soil that has settled on the roads if it is raining.
“We need to ensure the safety of everyone, including workers and road users. Thankfully, throughout this time, no untoward incidents occurred,” he said.
Raynner said that on the first day when water was rising, they faced problems moving the machinery to the affected area.
They had to wait until the water has receded so that they could bring in the machinery.
In addition, there were some cables owned by SEB and TM that fell, further complicating the cleaning process.
The cleaning work had to be done more carefully and slowly until the SESB and TM were able to dismantle cables that were severed.
“This is one of the challenging tasks that we had to face,” he said.
Further on land clearing identified as one of the causes of the disaster, Raynner said most of the lands were privately owned.
He lamented that it is not mandatory currently to obtain permission from the Penampang Municipal Council to carry out land clearing works.
“Normally, the municipal council requires developers to submit development plan and obtain approval from them so as to prevent disasters such as what occurred recently.
“But in the case of the private landowners, if they do not want to obtain approval for land clearing works such as to build houses, no one can stop them,” he said.
He said it is high time for the Government to ensure all land development projects irrespective of purpose to obtain the necessary approval so as minimise adverse impact on the land and its surroundings.
“If no approval is given, local authorities can block the installation of water or electricity meters on the said land property,” he said.
He said once the situation has returned to normal they would hold a post-mortem to identify and discuss improvements to the district.
One evacuee, Emilia Lampangoh, now sheltering at the Penampang Sports Complex, shared her ordeal.
“Our house is still standing, but the landslides have made many roads impassable. We were coming from Donggongon and couldn’t return home, so we were diverted here for shelter. Even now, we can’t go back, our area is still blocked.”
Emilia also described how floodwaters at the Sigah roundabout rose to neck level as she approached from the airport direction.
“The weather forecast says it will keep raining today. I’m worried about my mother, who’s a stroke patient at home. Thankfully, my sister is there to care for her,” she said.
Heavy continuous rains for the past few days, sometimes for over six hours, have caused the Penampang river to overflood its banks, oversaturate the soil, and unleashed landslides, damaging property and stranding hundreds of residents across the Sabah district. — Picture from Facebook/Randolf Paza
Another victim, As Miasin, was trapped inside his car from 5pm to 1am before being rescued.
In Kasigui, one of the hardest-hit areas, water continued to gush across roads, submerging properties and causing extensive damage. Several schools in the area were also forced to close due to flooding.
Major roads including Jalan St Michael, Jalan Kolopis, and Jalan Nambazan became impassable due to rising waters and landslide debris. Residents expressed growing anxiety over the condition of hillside roads, fearing further landslides if the rain continues.
“We’re worried the roads won’t hold up. Every time it rains heavily, we’re on edge,” said one local.
At SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin, nearly 100 evacuees, mostly students from the Moyog area, have taken shelter. Teacher-in-charge Asfera John said preparations are in place should the number of victims increase.
“The hall can accommodate up to 400 people. If the rain continues, we expect more to arrive. Food and basic supplies are ready,” she said.
Pritchard Gumbaris, from Parti Warisan, called on the District Disaster Management Committee to urgently request assistance from the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM).
“This is no ordinary emergency. Multiple landslides, rising floodwaters, and destroyed homes mean lives are at immediate risk.
The army has the heavy machinery, rescue teams, and logistics to carry out large-scale evacuations and reopen critical routes. Delays could cost lives, we need their help now,” he said.
He urged the Public Works Department (JKR) to begin long-term slope stabilization planning, including the construction of retaining walls on high-risk slopes.
He also called on environmental and enforcement agencies to investigate possible illegal hill clearing, which may have weakened soil stability and contributed to the landslides. — Daily Express
