CHARLES Santiago said its mind-boggling that Selangor has been left out of  Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s meeting with the Federal Disaster Management Task Force.

“He should be commended for chairing the meeting to assess the level of coordination and preparedness of disaster management in the country but there are many glaring issues.

“He left out Selangor and instead focused on the eastern states of the peninsula and East Malaysia, “ the Klang MP said in a statement today.

Santiago added that the Meteorological Department has identified 62 areas in Klang alone as flood hotspots due to the combination of the northeast monsoon and high tides.

It has also predicted an average of 100-400mm of rainfall in Klang in the next months. 

Santiago also said that flood drills should be conducted to ensure that residents know the procedures for emergency evacuation.

“Residents of Seri Muda, Selangor were unprepared for the floods last December as they were unfamiliar with the early warning siren system.

“Hence local authorities must also conduct a flood drill to ensure that residents know the standard operating procedure for emergency evacuation,” said the DAP lawmaker.

He emphasised that residents must be informed of their nearest evacuation centres and emergency hotlines well ahead of time.

“The most vulnerable households, like those with aged or differently abled people, should also be identified ahead of time so that rescuers know which homes to target first,” he said.

Santiago also suggested that the National Disaster Management Agency should be restructured, and it should consider mobilising the army, navy and defence forces as part of disaster management.

“The government should also set up a flood insurance scheme for a more holistic approach to disaster mitigation, with those in high-risk areas as well as B40 households paying a low premium for the protection of their homes and assets,” he added.

Last year, heavy rainfall over the weekend of December 17-18 caused massive flooding in Selangor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Perak and Pahang.

More than 70,000 people were displaced and 54 were killed. Selangor was one of the worst-hit states. – September 14, 2022.