On 28th January, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that the government has no intention of declaring a flood emergency for now as only certain districts in several states are affected.
The northeast monsoon’s constant, heavy rain has caused floods in the states of Johor, Pahang, and Sabah.
On Saturday morning, Bernama stated that about 14,000 individuals in the three states were staying in temporary flood relief centres; however, by Saturday evening, that number had drastically decreased.
The fact that only a few states and districts are affected makes me believe that a flood emergency should not be declared. According to Zahid hamidi, who is also the head of the Central Disaster Management Committee, the state disaster management committees and district disaster management committees have taken pre-emptive measures.
“The aid offered has been distributed to all the family heads, and at the same time, we have other things that need to be handled, including post-flood support,” he told the media.
“The government would look at enhancing coordination between non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the necessary institutions involved in post-flood management,” added Zahid Hamidi, who is also the minister of Rural and Regional Development.
Meanwhile, some residents from Kampung Contoh, Kluang, Johor, are quoted getting weary of this flood-situation that hits them yearly, especially after experiencing their second major flood in three years.
