Opposition MPs call for special commission to probe flood management
Opposition MPs have called for a special commission to be established to conduct a post-mortem on the management of recent floods which wreaked havoc in the Klang Valley and other parts of the peninsula.
A joint statement signed by 77 lawmakers from Pakatan Harapan, Warisan, and Muda said the commission's findings must then be debated and approved by Parliament.
"Since the floods have receded in most places, there needs to be...
Opposition MPs have called for a special commission to be established to conduct a post-mortem on the management of recent floods which wreaked havoc in the Klang Valley and other parts of the peninsula.
A joint statement signed by 77 lawmakers from Pakatan Harapan, Warisan, and Muda said the commission's findings must then be debated and approved by Parliament.
"Since the floods have receded in most places, there needs to be a thorough post-mortem on what went wrong, and which are areas of improvement that need to be addressed," the statement read.
The group expressed that the 46 fatalities due to the floods thus far were distressing and blamed it on the federal government's "ineffectiveness" and "lackadaisical attitude".
"There are 32 ministers in Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s cabinet but instead of deploying themselves to be at the aid of the people, they instead pretend to 'help' for photo opportunities," they said in a jab at several media faux pas by cabinet members.
Meanwhile, the MPs also voiced support for suggestions made by the Climate Emergency Coalition of Malaysia (GDIMY) who called for, among others, a stop to deforestation by logging and the de-gazettement of forest reserves.
"The government should also embark on pro-climate policies like a national adaptation plan, a disaster risk reduction plan and push for higher prosecution for those who contribute to climate change like deforestation," the lawmakers said.
They added that the government should engage with all stakeholders to develop a holistic plan to mitigate disasters and environmental crises.
"The government needs to act fast. We need to prevent unnecessary losses of lives due to inefficiencies, tardiness and carelessness which could have been avoided from the start," they said.
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