No need to declare flood emergency, says Ahmad Zahid

CNA – The Malaysian government has no intention of declaring a flood emergency for now as only certain districts in several states are affected, said Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Saturday.

The states of Johor, Pahang and Sabah have been hit by flooding amid continuous heavy rain brought about by the northeast monsoon.

Nearly 14,000 people in the three states were in temporary flood relief centres, Bernama reported on Saturday morning, but that number fell significantly by evening.

“I don’t think a flood emergency should be declared because it only involves certain states and districts.

“The state disaster management committees have taken proactive measures together with the district disaster management committees,” said Ahmad Zahid, who is also the chairman of the Central Disaster Management Committee.

“The aid provided has been given to all the heads of families and, at the same time, we have other matters that need to be carried out, including post-flood assistance,” he told a media conference after visiting a temporary relief centre in Mersing.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the rural and regional development minister, added that the government will look into improving coordination among non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the relevant agencies involved in post-flood management.

When asked to comment on political developments a day after his party United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) expelled former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin and suspended former defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Ahmad Zahid, who is party president, said he would only address flood-related questions. “This is a press conference on flood matters only,” he said, as quoted by the Star.

UMNO, Malaysia’s oldest political party, expelled Khairy and supreme council member Noh Omar on Friday for breaching party disciplinary rules during the country’s recent general election.

It came after Ahmad Zahid said a day earlier that the party will undergo “mass cleansing” to get rid of “saboteurs” and those who have “shot themselves in the foot”.