Former Klang MP Charles Santiago has called on the government to respond to current floods with urgent action.
In a statement today, he said immediate flood mitigation was needed to lessen the burden on the people and also called for Malaysia to implement a flood insurance scheme.
“There is no time to wait anymore. The tragic loss of five lives, four in Johor and one in Pahang, highlights the seriousness of the situation following the recent floods.
“While the threat of climate change looms large, the immediate focus must be on addressing the aftermath of these floods and providing relief to those affected in a sustainable manner.
“The government must immediately put protective measures in place to shield vulnerable communities from its devastating effects,” said Charles.
This morning, Bernama reported that the number of flood victims evacuated in six flood-affected states continued to increase, with 40,922 victims placed in temporary evacuation centres as Selangor became the latest state to be affected.
Charles said that these floods disproportionately affect the B40 and M40 groups.
“Therefore, Malaysia must implement a national flood insurance scheme to serve as a social safety net for the vulnerable.
“The scheme should be made available in all states with subsidised rates for B40 households.
“For instance, the UK’s Flood Re Scheme is a joint initiative by the government and the insurance industry, designed to make flood coverage more available, affordable, and accessible.
“And it is accountable to Parliament,” he said.
Charles who served as Klang MP from 2008 to 2022 is currently director of Monitoring Globalisation, an NGO that speaks out on water management, climate change, human rights and democracy, labour, and human security.
He cited that countries like Japan, Turkey, and Switzerland provide private insurance schemes while the US and South Korea offer public ones.
“Our Asean neighbours like the Philippines and Thailand have followed suit in offering public flood insurance schemes where the premium is in proportion to the risk of flooding in a particular area.
“Schemes such as these increase affordability and accessibility to a much wider population.
“The deaths and destruction brought on by these floods serve as a warning that more work must be done to lessen the effects of climate change,” said Charles. - Mkini
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