A Penang government official has countered an argument the state's weather monitoring system may be illegal, saying the state needs to be "proactive" to be prepared for future floods.

"Penang’s proposed alert system is the state government’s proactive response towards mitigating future losses caused by adverse weather conditions.

"It is wrong for (Universiti Malaya professor Azizan Abu Samah) to argue on legal liability, especially when what the Penang state government intends to do does not serve as a daily weather forecast channel.

"Instead, the Penang government wishes to prepare and protect ourselves against any future severe rainstorm," said Raja Syarafina Raja Shuib, special legal officer to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, in a statement today.

She was responding to an article in The Star today titled ‘Weather system may be illegal’, in which Azizan argued against the move saying it would cause "overlap" and that the state would "assume a legal responsibility if they were to issue their own alerts”.

Referring to the severe flooding of unprecedented proportions this month, Raja Syarafina said there unfortunately was "no warning whatsoever by the Meteorological Department of an impending rainstorm of this magnitude, one never seen before in Penang".

"The highest red alert warning was only issued at 9.30 pm on November 4 when the rainstorm had already begun," she said.

"The Penang government does not want to be caught unprepared again.

"A better way is for the Penang government to try all efforts to ensure that Penangites are well informed and well prepared for any potentially adverse weather conditions," she said.

Being 'proactive'

"Penang’s proposed alert system is the state government’s proactive response towards mitigating future losses caused by adverse weather conditions.

"It is wrong for Azizan to argue on legal liability, especially when what the Penang government intends to do does not serve as a daily weather forecast channel.

“Instead the Penang government wishes to prepare and protect ourselves against any future severe rainstorm,” said Raja Syarafina.

The state, she said, will conduct a study on how data from meteorological services from other countries in the region could be compiled and used for alerts.

“This will involve foreign experts where countries that have indicated their willingness to assist include China, Britain and Japan, countries which are familiar with nature-related disasters.”