In a press statement received here yesterday evening, Tiong, who is also the chairman of the Back Benchers' club, said although it was just a minor flood, with water gushing in from the river, he had received numerous calls within just a few hours yesterday from the people in Sibu.

"The people are so concerned now after the flood last December that they are now even worried to see rain coming.

"It is therefore timely that the director of Sarawak Drainage and Irrigation Department Wong SIu Hieng go to Sibu to understand the seriousness of the situation."

Tiong, who is also a Justice of the Peace, said he had received countless calls from the people these few days in support of his statement.

"They fear the flood situation has already become abnomal and so frequent that it will affect them more in years to come."

He hoped Wong should not be that stubborn as not to hear the views of the people.

The back benchers chairman said after the discussion of the MPs with the prime minister last week, he would propose three flood mitigation measures to the state DID.

"Firstly, dredge the river to restore the functions of the water way, and if this still fails, then, only consider other means."

He said the DID had pointed out two serious floods in Sibu in 1963 and 1973.

"If a serious flood comes once every decade or so, the people will not be that angry. But, they are going to face it frequently, they are furious."

He said after each flood, the victims in Sibu said they could suffer losses in properties amounting to thousands of ringgit.

"Irrigation is the duty of the DID, and they cannot say that they are incapable of doing it."

He said the residents in downstream villagers of Kwong Hua and Paradom feared that if floods were coming so frequently, they would face a very hard life ahead.

"If building bund is the option that the DID sees now, what about the other towns from Sibu to Kapit, like those smaller towns of Pakan, Julau and others? "

"Is the department going to build more bunds?"

He said Sibu used to prosper in shipping making and in river transport business, but, now, with big ships being turned away, the investors and the businessmen were suffering.

With such serious siltation problem, he questioned the DID what was the use of having the Rajang Port Authority when cargo ships could not enter.

"Are we going to turn it into a wharf for sampans?"