Klang residents keen on suing govt over flood mismanagement - MP

 

Residents of Klang are keen on suing the government for negligence in flood management during the December 2021 floods.

Klang MP Charles Santiago said that government officials were nowhere to be found during the first few days of the floods, leaving people with no choice but to conduct their own flood relief.

“The state has a responsibility to protect and promote the rights and interests of its citizens. However, during the floods, there was hardly an early warning system or efficient flood relief efforts to help vulnerable individuals and communities.

“In fact, government officials were missing in the first three to four days, and people took it upon themselves to organise food distributions and rescue missions,” he said in a statement. - Mkini

These were among the matters discussed in a climate change seminar yesterday titled “The Impact of Climate Change on Coastal Areas Like Klang” organised by the MP’s office.

Charles added that participants also raised the possibility of formulating a new drainage and irrigation system in Klang by widening and deepening rivers to cater for inter-phasing the movement of water through rivers.

“In this way, planners avoid developing drainage specific to a local residential area but allow the movement of water between a number of areas before it clears into a river,” he added.

Disaster relief force

Another takeaway from the seminar was the call for a disaster relief force in lieu of the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma).

Charles said the country’s current flood relief and recovery efforts are organised under National Security Council Directive No. 20, which only invokes eight laws and regulations during times of disaster.

He said that the proposed disaster relief force would entail comprehensive legislation to unify the various laws and regulations, including policies and programmes to reduce flood-related risks.

“The government needs to consider setting up a disaster relief force, constituting members of the police, army and air force that can be deployed when confronted with a disaster.

“The cost of setting up this outfit would not be astronomical as they would come from the existing security and defence forces.

“An effort such as this would help facilitate the deployment of servicemen on short notice and mobilise equipment for purposes of relief,” he said.

The MP said that multiple areas in Klang have experienced floods about five times over the last six months, adding that there have been frequent landslides across the country as well.

He called on the government to act immediately before another flood disaster strikes. -Mkini