GEORGE TOWN, Nov 8 — The Penang government can use some of its RM46 billion budgeted for its Transport Master Plan (TMP) to implement flood mitigation projects in the state, Umno representative Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman said today.

Zainal who is also the federal action council chairman for Penang added that if the Pakatan Harapan state administration could afford to implement a mega project like the TMP, it shouldn’t need to ask for extra funding from Putrajaya.

"If state government could fully fund such a massive project, then why can’t they spend a billion or two on flood mitigation projects in the state?” he told a news conference here this morning.

At a separate press conference later, state executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow said in response that the TMP is a state initiative and as such, the state government has to be financially accountable for it.

"We chose to go ahead with the project so we are responsible for funding it and we have to do reclamation to fund it,” he said.

He said it is different when it comes to flood mitigation projects as it is fully under the federal government’s jurisdiction.

"We don’t have to fund the flood mitigation projects because it is clear cut the federal government’s jurisdiction and it is their responsibility to continue with it,” he said in a press conference together with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

Lim said the state government would continue to ask for the balance of funds, at around RM847 million, for five flood mitigation projects in Penang.

The total flood mitigation projects costs are RM997 million and with the recent announcement that RM150 million has been approved, that left the balance of RM847 million.

"Hopefully, they don’t play politics with us, give us allocation that is due to the state,” he said.

He said the Penang government is willing to work together with Putrajaya to resolve the flood issues in the state.

Penang was hit by flash floods earlier this week resulting in landslides at remote hilly areas and causing a part of the Batu Ferringhi Road to cave in.

The Penang government has blamed the federal government for the delay in implementing flood mitigation projects in the state that had led to the flash floods.

Lim had also said the rainfall over last weekend were extraordinarily heavy that led to flooding even the railway station at Penang Hill.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Jaafar then announced the approval of a RM150 million allocation under the second rolling plan of the 2017 Eleventh Malaysia Plan.

The allocation was for the Sungai Pinang flood mitigation project.