Chief Minister Musa Aman today gave the assurance that the state government will find the best solution for the landslide and flood issues here.

   

He said among the actions to be taken was carrying out repair on clogged drains which contributed to the floods in Sandakan.

   

For the long term, he said more drains would be built in certain areas or having the existing ones expanded.

   

"I personally visited these areas where landslides had occurred or were hit by flood and I saw many houses and property were damaged.

   

"What is more worrying is that the landslides also claimed lives," he told reporters after visiting Kampung Gelam here where an elderly woman was killed when a tree fell on her shop following a landslide yesterday.

   

A 16-year-old girl was also killed when her family's hillside house collapsed in a landslide in Bandar Ramai-Ramai.

   

Musa said he was briefed by the Sandakan Municipal Council president James Wong today about the disaster and had instructed the council to conduct monitoring and evaluation on the damage suffered by the residents for aid distribution purposes.

   

Earlier, Musa visited Bandar Sibuga Jaya Market here and distributed Chinese New Year cards to the traders.

 

- Bernama