Flood Mitigation Projects To Be Made Priority - Abdullah
Bernama 22 Dec 07;
The Prime Minister admitted that development which did not take drainage into consideration also contributed to the flooding. "There are rivers that are too shallow and others clogged with litter. This also contributes to the flooding,"
ALOR STAR, Dec 22 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said today flood mitigation projects will be made a priority under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) to address the perennial problem of floods in the country.
The Prime Minister said the matter had been discussed by the Cabinet and that implementation of the projects would be speeded up.
Speaking at a news conference after visiting a flood relief centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Gunong near here, he said the flood mitigation projects needed to be given priority as the government spent a huge amount of money each year in providing aid to flood victims.
Last year the government spent over RM1 billion to provide flood assistance in Johor and millions more in other flood-hit states.
"We need to speed up (the flood mitigation projects). Floods also cause a lot of damage which require huge sums of money to rectify," he said.
Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) director-general Datuk Paduka Keizrul Abdullah said recently that a total of RM21 billion would be spent on flood mitigation projects nationwide.
On the floods, blamed by some as the result of unhindered development, the Prime Minister admitted that development which did not take drainage into consideration also contributed to the flooding.
He was disappointed because there were development projects which did not take into account the risk of natural disasters such as floods and landslides.
"There are rivers that are too shallow and others clogged with litter. This also contributes to the flooding," said Abdullah.
He said there were also areas that had not experienced floods before but this time were hit because development in their localities was not managed properly.
Asked to comment on a statement by the Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM) that Malaysians were more inclined to assisting victims of natural disasters in other countries than in their own country, Abdullah said this reflected the compassionate nature of Malaysians.
He said the government also provided similar assistance but continued to give priority to what was taking place in the country.
Earlier the Prime Minister spent an hour to visit 371 flood victims at the centre before attending a briefing on the flood situation by Kedah police chief Datuk Syed Ismail Syed Azizan.
A total of 3,066 victims were evacuated from their homes throughout Kedah since floods hit the state on Dec 15.
Syed Ismail said that a total of 3,502ha of padi fields managed by the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada) and another 5,176ha outside Mada were affected by this latest round of floods.
This is the third time that Kedah was hit by the floods since September.
-- BERNAMA
Malaysian floods retreating in 4 states
More evacuees allowed to return home, but weather experts warn of threat from high-tide phenomenon
Straits Times 23 Dec 07;
KUALA LUMPUR - FLOOD waters in four Malaysian states continued to subside for the third day running yesterday, with more people allowed to return home.
But the Meteorological Department continued to be cautious, saying the high-tide phenomenon - which it earlier predicted would occur between last Thursday and yesterday - could worsen between today and Wednesday.
There were concerns earlier last week that heavy monsoon rains, when mixed with an 18-year cycle of high tides caused by the moon's movement, would create flood havoc in Malaysia and parts of Indonesia. But there has been little impact from this phenomenon so far.
However, there is another danger from the waters. Health Ministry parliamentary secretary Lee Kah Choon said typhoid, cholera and hepatitis A increases during or after floods, caused by drinking contaminated water.
'Parents should also see that their children do not play in flood waters as it will increase risk of wound infections, dermatitis, conjunctivitis and ear, nose and throat infections,' he said.
The number of evacuees in Pahang, Kelantan, Kedah and Johor dropped further yesterday.
Up to 4pm yesterday, a total of 16,487 victims remained huddled in relief centres in the four states.
This compared with 20,356 people on Friday evening and 27,189 on Thursday evening.
The areas around the town of Pekan in Pahang - the worst-hit district in this year's flooding - had the most number of evacuees, with 9,100 people.
A Pahang police spokesman said the road joining Pekan to the state capital Kuantan was still partly closed as it remained under water.
The government has been pouring in aid in the form of fresh and canned food, blankets and personal hygiene items, including air dropping supplies to Pekan.
Aid from private organisations has been slow, leading to a criticism yesterday from the Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia.
Its project director, Mr Noor Nirwandy Mat Nordin, said Malaysians will donate to disaster victims in foreign lands but do not offer much help for local flood victims.
'They are not doing much for the local victims as they feel that the government will take care of them,' he told reporters.
The association, with private company SCS Communication, is distributing RM100,000 (S$46,000) worth of items including boat engines, life jackets, blankets, disposable diapers and food items to flood victims in Pahang.
Bernama
