“The govt hasn’t stepped up” – Klang MP Praises PM For Flood Efforts But Says More is Required

With the current rainy season truly ongoing, flash floods are bound to happen in certain areas of the country. This is extremely worrying considering the amount of damage floods caused to the country last year.

So it would be certainly wise to introduce new measures or upgrade certain parts to ensure that last year’s devastation never happens again.

Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh recently condemned the government for using sandbags in questionable conditions as a measure against the flood.

Recently, Klang MP Charles Santiago took to Facebook to share his thoughts on the matter.

In his post, Charles said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri’s efforts to prevent flooding has been commendable but inadequate to mitigate the floods.

“It’s still a mess and looks like the entire government machinery hasn’t stepped up, despite the devastating floods last December,” he wrote.

“While the PM should be commended for chairing a meeting with the Federal Disaster Management Task Force (JPBP) to assess the level of coordination and preparedness of disaster management in the country, there are many glaring issues.”

He said that, “It’s mind-boggling that the discussions appear to have left out Selangor and instead focused on the Eastern states of the Peninsular and East Malaysia.”

This is because the MET Malaysia has identified 62 areas in the Klang district alone as flood hotspots due to the combination of the Northeast monsoon and high tides, whilst the meteorological department also predicts an average of 100mm to 400mm of rainfall in Klang in the next months.

“Klang will clearly face massive floods in the coming months. Therefore discussions around disaster management should focus on the entire country, and a few more strategies must be put in place,” explained Charles.

What must be done

In his post, Charles suggested that a test run must be done to ensure that the early warning sirens are heard by all houses in the surrounding vicinity, especially during thunderstorms.

“This is crucial given that residents in Seri Muda, Selangor, were clueless about the sirens last December.”

He also suggested for the local authorities to also conduct a flood drill to ensure that residents know the SOP for emergency evacuation.

“They must be informed of their nearest evacuation centres and emergency hotlines well ahead of time. The most vulnerable households like those with aged or differently-abled people should also be identified ahead of time so that rescuers know which homes to target first,” he said.

Meanwhile, he also called for the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) to step up its disaster response and relief and that it should be restructured, and consider mobilising the army, navy and defence forces as part of disaster management as they have access to boats, equipment and vehicles that can be mobilised on short notice.

Finally, he urged the government to set up a flood insurance scheme for a more holistic approach to disaster mitigation, with those in high-risk areas as well as B40 households paying a low premium for the protection of their homes and assets.

“It’s clear that Ismail Sabri is trying, but much more comprehensive strategies must be incorporated to ensure we are adequately prepared for any flood mitigation. I hope that the PM will also incorporate our suggestions and recommendations to substantially reduce disaster risks and losses to lives and livelihoods.”

Do you agree with his suggestions? 

Also read: Hannah Yeoh Condemns Govt For Using Sandbags For Floods, Unfairly Slammed For Not Providing Solution