The Penang government has refuted claims by the Meteorological Department that the state suffered the heaviest rainfall in September 1995, and not this year. 

"I want to show figures, we will speak based on figures," Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng told a press conference in Komtar today.

Citing a chart by the Penang Water Authority that said Penang recorded 1,162 mm of rain in September this year, compared to only 482 mm in the corresponding period 22 years ago, Lim said this clearly showed that the figure given by the Meteorological Department was inaccurate. 

"There was 100 percent heavier rainfall in Sept this year compared to 1995," said the DAP secretary-general.

Lim was referring to a Nov 12 news report in Berita Harian which quoted the national weather agency's director-general Alui Bahari as saying that there were heavier rainfalls in Penang in 1995.

Lim has of late, been at loggerheads with the department, when he blamed the department for issuing a late warning to the state for the Nov 4 and 5 floods, leaving it unprepared for the floods which killed seven and displaced thousands.

Alui, however, disagreed, claiming the warnings were first issued on Nov 1.

Lim further urged the flood tragedy to not be politicised. 

The chief minister then urged the federal government to expedite the approval of financial aid to flood victims in the state. 

"The federal government did help relocate victims during the flood, but please provide aid to victims and approve the RM1 billion funds for flood mitigation projects that Penang needs," Lim said.

During a visit to Seberang Perai on Nov 7, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said that the flood projects would cause RM1 billion but did not say when he would approve it.