DEVASTATING flash floods and a fatal landslide these past two months have put in the spotlight the Penang government’s ability to effectively respond to natural disasters and its competence in governing the island state. 

To many analysts and Penang residents, the two-term DAP-led state government deserves credit for managing and responding to the slew of disasters, especially the massive flood and landslides of two weeks ago.

Ilham Centre executive director Mohamad Hisommuddin Bakar said the Penang government had organised efficient work coordination at all levels, which was crucial in managing disasters of such magnitude.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng also notched up several “approval points” for his response to the disasters.

“He (Lim) was unashamed to admit his administration’s flaws and limitations in dealing with the huge disasters,” said Hisommuddin.

Lim had admitted that the big storm caught the state by surprise, as there was no prior warning that record rainfall as high as 372mm and strong winds of 64kph were going to hit Penang.

With the state devastated by floodwaters and landslides on November 5, Lim had called Deputy Prime Minister Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in the wee hours to send in the military for rescue operations.

A total of 12,559 people were evacuated to relief centres in the state.

Lim was in the thick of the entire post-flood operation – holding press conferences with updates on progress, announcing relief aid, and even posting a phone recording on Facebook to apologise for any shortcomings in the relief work.

Media and Communication Studies Professor Dr Zaharom Nain of Nottingham University Malaysia’s Faculty of Arts said the state government’s response was people-focused and not a “public relations exercise”.

“The response to the recent storm and flooding was even better, with the emphasis on going all-out to help the victims, instead of entertaining the detractors, mainly from the BN (Barisan Nasional) side. 

“It was, I feel, about helping affected Penangites and Penang, with less emphasis on party interests. As it should be,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

Accusations of overdevelopment

The unprecedented damage caused by the natural disasters, however, had also reignited longstanding criticism of the state government’s development policies, particularly in hilly areas, said Hisommuddin. 

State Public Works exco Lim Hock Seng recent revelation that Penang had 131 cases of slope collapse in the September heavy downpour and the storm earlier this month has lent further weight to the critics’ arguments.

“This pressures the state to study hill slope developments and act more sternly in such matters.

“To put it simply, the disasters have threatened and put a little political pressure on the Pakatan Harapan administration under Lim  although so far, the state has been able to handle it well,” he said.

Zaharom said while the DAP-led government’ was proactive in setting up a commission of inquiry into the disasters, the state’s recent tiff with environmental groups sent a message to the public that its leaders were refusing to be held accountable.

Frustrated members of civil society groups and residents’ associations (RA) highlighting concerns about hill slope developments, landslides and flash floods last month had warned the PH government that it risked getting kicked out if it failed to listen to the people. 

The criticism against the state government intensified after most PH elected representatives failed to turn up at a Penang Forum public dialogue on flood and hill slope development, which was attended by a number of BN state leaders and assemblymen.

The only DAP representative who attended the forum was heckled when she defended the government’s developmental policies.

The civil society groups’ remarks and the incident at the forum prompted Deputy Chief Minister Dr P. Ramasamy to warn the groups not to threaten or attack the state government over political lines. He also claimed that the dialogue was hijacked by political quarters to attack the administration. 

“This was interpreted by many as sheer arrogance a la BN and Umno, quite contrary to what the PH government had assured Penangites in the beginning,” said Zaharom. 

Politics of disaster

Hisommuddin said while the DAP government in Penang gained some  political mileage from its efficient response to the flood, growing criticism of the state government’s development policies would need to be properly addressed so that it did not  snowball into voter dissatisfaction in the general election to come.

The natural disasters have also been fodder for PAS and Umno, who are trying to win over Malay voters by calling the incidents demonstrations of God’s wrath.

“Attacks against the state government had been coming from PAS, Umno and others who dislike Lim’s administration. 

“The attacks are in form of criticism against the party. There are also those who linked the incidents to God’s wrath.”

Hisommuddin said DAP would need to work harder to counter the attacks PAS and Umno.

Zahid had said the floods were a sign of God’s wrath upon those who boasted that Penang was free of floods.

Zaharom said while it was “moronic and Neanderthal” to suggest that the floods were God’s punishment, the reality was that certain quarters would use the disasters for political mileage.

“Given that people are aware that flooding is a disaster that affects other states, and that flooding happens every year in BN states on the East Coast and East Malaysia, surely it’s stupid for BN and its sympathisers to point fingers at Penang?” he said. 

He urged the state government to remain focused on doing what was right for the people and to be sincere in addressing issues such as over-development to prevent a repeat of the disaster. – November 20, 2017.