BINTULU, June 11 — Several roads and residential areas here have been inundated following heavy rain since early Thursday morning.

The downpour caused flash floods in a number of low-lying areas, with floodwaters rising rapidly and affecting traffic flow on several roads across the town.

Several vehicles were seen stranded after attempting to pass through flooded stretches, while other motorists were forced to turn back and seek alternative routes due to rising water levels.

Among the affected areas were residential neighbourhoods where overflowing drains led to water spilling onto roads and into house compounds.

As of 9am, no injuries or evacuations have been reported. — The Borneo Post

MIRI, June 12 — Repair works on the damaged 1,100mm main pipeline at Mile 7 of Jalan Miri-Bintulu were completed at 8.30am, with water supply expected to be restored to affected areas in stages over the next 12 hours.

Deputy Minister for Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Liwan Lagang said Sarawak Water is refilling the system, stabilising the distribution network, and carrying out flushing activities to ensure water quality is satisfactory before supply is fully restored to consumers.

“I have been informed that the repair works on the 1,100mm main pipeline at Mile 7, Jalan Miri-Bintulu were successfully completed in full earlier this morning at approximately 8.30am,” he said in a statement.

“Water supply is expected to be restored in stages over the next approximately 12 hours, as a large-scale distribution system requires time to be refilled, stabilised, and brought back to normal operating pressure.”

He thanked all parties involved in the repair operation, including Sarawak Water and various government agencies that worked around the clock to complete the repairs and assist affected residents.

Among them were the Rural Water Supply Department, Fire and Rescue Department, Public Works Department, Sarawak Energy, Miri Resident’s Office, Miri District Office, Miri District Education Office, Miri City Council, Royal Malaysia Police, Malaysian Armed Forces, Malaysian Red Crescent, Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, Miri Hospital, elected representatives, media personnel, and volunteers.

“On behalf of the Ministry of Utility and Telecommunication Sarawak, I would also like to extend my appreciation to all consumers in the Miri Division for their patience, cooperation, and support throughout the period of water supply disruption,” he said.

Liwan also expressed hope that the restoration process would proceed smoothly and that all affected areas would receive their normal water supply again as soon as possible.

Heavy rainfall at the site early Thursday morning resulted in difficult working conditions and temporarily hampered repair progress.

Repair works began on Wednesday following a valve closure at 5pm, with completion initially targeted for 5pm on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Sarawak Water acting chief executive officer Malseni Jamal said the supply interruption due to the repairs affected more than 70,000 consumers or about 70 per cent of the city’s population. — The Borneo Post

BINTULU, June 11 — The Sarawak Public Works Department (JKR) has handed over two new school projects here worth more than RM100 million to the Ministry of Education (MOE) to meet the growing demand for educational facilities in rapidly developing areas in Bintulu. 

In a statement, Sarawak JKR said the projects handed over were Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Samalaju, valued at RM57.62 million and Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Orang Kaya Mohammad Bintulu, worth RM42.74 million. 

“SMK Samalaju, built by Empayar Setia Sdn Bhd, is equipped with 36 classrooms, 24 units of teachers’ quarters, two hostel blocks, as well as various supporting facilities to meet current educational needs. 

“The construction of this school is expected to serve as a catalyst for the development of the Samalaju community, which is rapidly growing as a key economic and industrial hub in Sarawak,” it said. 

Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Samalaju. — Bernama pic

Meanwhile, SK Orang Kaya Mohammad Bintulu, built by EPR (Kuching) Sdn Bhd, was developed on a new site with modern and more comprehensive facilities to enhance comfort and quality of learning. 

“The school, established in 1912, is now operating in a new building that offers a more conducive learning environment for the community,” it said. 

According to the statement, the successful completion of both projects reflects the close collaboration between the MOE, Sarawak JKR as the implementing agency, contractors, consultants and relevant technical agencies, despite challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic and rising construction material costs. — Bernama