PARLIAMENT | Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories), Dr Zaliha Mustafa, has clarified that the recent flash floods in parts of Kuala Lumpur are not classified as a “disaster”.

During today’s Dewan Rakyat session, Zaliha (above) stated that the event is categorised as an “incident” instead.

“I contacted the state disaster management committee and received a direct briefing from the relevant agencies.

“However, the situation at that time was not deemed a disaster and classified as an incident,” she explained in response to a supplementary question from Onn Abu Bakar (Harapan-Batu Pahat).

Onn had enquired about measures to ensure swift action is taken to prevent loss of life due to flash floods. He also questioned why the response during the recent floods appeared delayed.

While Onn did not mention the date of the flash floods, Zalihah linked her answer to the recent flooding in the Klang Valley and Selangor on Oct 15.

She refuted Onn’s claim about the delay and emphasised that the relevant agencies had responded according to standard operating procedures (SOP).

Flash flood in Kg Baru on Oct 15

She added that heavy rainfall on Oct 15 began at 8.15am and ended at 10.45am.

“The downpour lasted for approximately two hours and 15 minutes. Officers from the Irrigation and Drainage Department and those from Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) responded promptly to manage and divert excess water.

“It is inaccurate for Batu Pahat to claim that the authorities were slow to respond. The emergency response followed SOP, and the situation was brought under control within two hours,” she added.

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