KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 25 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should declare a state of emergency today to boost rescue efforts as massive floods displace over 90,000 people in five states in peninsular Malaysia, a federal opposition lawmaker said.
Tony Pua reprimanded the federal governments seemingly lackadaisical efforts in tackling what he called “the worst natural disaster in recent history”.
“We call upon the Federal Government to mobilise all possible resources to mitigate the flood situation, including setting up operations in areas which hasn’t been flooded yet, but might be severely affected in the event of more rain and rising tides.
“If a ‘state of emergency’ needs to be declared to ensure such large scale coordinated mobilisation, then the Prime Minister must immediately declare a ‘state of emergency’,” the Petaling Jaya Utara MP said in a statement.
The DAP politician also said if the federal government agencies are taking “concrete steps” to tackle the flood woes in the prime minister’s absence, there wouldn’t be a problem with Najib taking his year-end holidays in Hawaii.
“If the Federal agencies remain lackadaisical with little sense of urgency, then the Prime Minister must return to the country with his golf irons immediately to strike ‘fear’ into the members of his National Security Council to get their act together,” he added.
Najib had said that all government agencies have been directed to carry out effective flood relief activities.
“I want all government agencies and departments to implement all the plans which have been arranged to assist flood victims to ensure their welfare is cared for,” he said in his Facebook page yesterday.
So far, over 90,000 people have been forced to evacuate their flooded homes in five states with Kelantan recording over 32,000 alone, the highest nationwide.
Four people have died in Kelantan since December 16, according to reports by state news agency Bernama.
Meanwhile in Terengganu, a 14-year-old girl drowned today, the first casualty of the floods in the state.
Pua also took a swipe at the National Security Council secretary Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab who had warned people against spreading false rumours regarding the flood situation, “instead of informing the distressed public what are the pro-active and concrete efforts” taken by the government.
Pua also noted that the Finance Ministry has announced a RM50-million allocation for the flood victims but pointed out it does not solve the various practical problems on the ground.
