LAST weekend, Klang Valley saw what people have called its worst floods ever. 

The sudden, unexpected rainfall, the equivalent of a month’s happening in just 24 hours, caught almost everyone off guard, resulting in many areas not receiving assistance even two full days after their homes were almost completely submerged underwater.  

The failure in handling this flood is multilevel. First, warning from the Meteorological Department only reached the public in the middle of the floods, on Saturday. The non-stop rainfall and floods had started on Friday evening.  

Second, it took the federal government a full day to respond. Most ministers appeared to have waited for the cue from the prime minister whose press conference was called on late Saturday night, more than 24 hours after the first areas were flooded, and half a day since the plight of people stranded in places like Taman Sri Muda went viral on social media. 

Reports by some news outlets stated that the armed forces went ahead with rescue efforts without instruction from the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma).

If true, this is simply pathetic. Nadma literally has one job, managing disasters. “Disaster management” is its very name. To cite lack of funds and claim its role is in post-recovery efforts makes no sense at all. 

To not categorise the worst flood recorded in Selangor’s history that affects half of the peninsula a national emergency, is simply ridiculous. 

By the time the authorities showed any semblance of a response, the elected reps of affected areas, local civil society groups and communities had already sprung into action.  

It was truly Kita Jaga Kita where mosques, surau, gurdwaras, churches and temples became giant kitchens and collection sites, and colleges and shopping malls became temporary shelters, and strangers came together to organise 4WD vehicles and boats to try and rescue stranded people, vehicles and pets. 

For the first half of the tragedy, these were the only organised rescues efforts available.  

Even after the government “mobilised”, these continue to serve as the main first responders. 

These are unsung heroes, serving an unaccounted for and unserved population, does not appear in any government numbers, making the official reports a rather inaccurate picture of the sordid realities on the ground. 

Instead, what we hear are of some VVIP political visitors being a hindrance rather than of assistance to the unpaid, untrained volunteers. 

In some places, they have set up strict rules about who gets to go in and who does not.

News images show VVIPs taking up precious space in boats, loading it with camera crew and bodyguards while some stranded victims have gone without fresh water and food for over 24 hours. 

Not all were publicity hungry – Bangi’s Ong Kian Ming and Segambut’s Hannah Yeoh were seen on the ground in a kayak and wellingtons respectively. The latter even managed to get sponsorship for masks and other items to be distributed to the Welfare Department and other government bodies. 

Klang’s Charles Santiago and Selangor exco Ganabatirao were seen working round the clock with what limited resources they have. Muda managed to gather teams of volunteers and raised a million ringgit within a day. 

There were government party boots on the ground, too, but most in their capacity as representatives and party leaders. 

All these resource collection and distribution efforts by private entities put the government to shame. It highlights a severe problem with our disaster response logistics and command, and a clear lack of political will to safeguard the lives of Malaysians and livelihoods in the time of disasters. 

The fact that some ministers can choose to launch volunteer groups in grand ceremonies and collect aid on stage in hotels, shows how far removed these leader are from reality. 

Instead of doing their political duty to debate these urgent problems in Parliament, they chose to score cheap political points at the cost of others’ suffering.  

The tone-deaf, unsympathetic, lackadaisical response smacks of incompetence, arrogance and sheer lack of conscience amid the urgent needs of suffering fellow Malaysians. – December 22, 2021.

* Emmanuel Joseph firmly believes that Klang is the best place on Earth, and that motivated people can do far more good than any leader with motive.