'Hard to predict weather for elections': Sec-gen's poem rues of climate change

Environment Department secretary-general Zaini Ujang has penned a poem, lamenting that climate change has made it difficult to predict the weather for “events, banquets and elections”.

In the three-part poem posted on his Facebook today, Zaini (above) also blamed climate change on the avarice of mankind.

“Climate change and capricious weather have made it so that it is difficult to predict the weather to organise events, banquets and elections.

“The cause is mankind themselves who prioritise personal gain in the name of ‘prospering the earth’,” Zaini said in his poem.

He also attached an infographic showing the rain forecast for all 14 states for the months of Sept 2022 until Feb 2023.

According to the infographic, Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang are expected to experience peak rainfall in December, while the other states in Peninsula Malaysia are expected to see the most rainfall in November.

Meanwhile, the forecast for Sabah and Sarawak sees the two East Malaysian states receiving peak rainfall in Feb 2023.

There has been intense scrutiny on the rain forecast over the next few months as Umno is pushing for the 15th general election (GE15) to be held this year.

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had previously said the Umno-BN machinery was willing to wade through floods if GE15 was held during the monsoon season.

Despite criticisms, Zahid doubled down on his push for the general election, saying that a caretaker prime minister will still have the powers to tackle the floods if Parliament is dissolved.

The Umno supreme council has since announced their official decision for Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to seek the dissolution of Parliament to pave the way for GE15 this year.

There has been speculation that the dissolution of Parliament could be announced within this week.

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