KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 — PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli sought to rally Malaysians today to lodge their opposition to an early 15th general election being called in November when severe seasonal floods have been forecast.
The former Pandan MP said the timing meant vital funds and government resources would have to be diverted towards the election instead of flood mitigation, while politicians would also be busy with campaigning instead of assisting victims.
“GE15 during the flood means more than RM1 billion will be used to manage the election. The people’s funds are better channelled to efforts to deal with disasters.
“It also means that hundreds of thousands of civil servants have to be on duty to conduct elections when they should together with volunteers to help flood victims,” he said when announcing the petition on Facebook.
The PKR man added that it is the duty of all parties to prioritise lives and help out during times of disaster instead of chasing political positions.
Opposition parties including Pakatan Harapan have disagreed with holding the GE15 in November, saying the predicted heavy rains and floods would make conditions treacherous for Malaysians.
Last year, Malaysia suffered one of its worst floods on record, causing an estimated RM6.5 billion in property damage and displacing over 71,000 people.
The floods were particularly severe in Selangor, the country’s most industrialised state, where nearly half of the 54 flood-related deaths occurred.
