PENANG PAS today lodged a police report against the DAP-led Pakatan Harapan state government over the flash floods that recently hit the state.

The Islamist party’s Penang land bureau chairman, Yacoob Omar, said it wanted police to probe whether there was abuse of power when the state approved development projects.

He said the flash floods that hit Penang recently were due to development carried out without proper planning and clearing of hills and trees, and not merely because of bad weather as claimed by the state government.

“That is why areas that did not get hit by floods previously are affected now… places like Balik Pulau, Batu Feringghi, Teluk Bahang, Farlim.

“I have lived in the Sg Pinang area for more than 50 years.

“I know Penang floods. We used to get floods once or twice a year. Now, we get flash floods 20 times a year.

“We got this statistic from a related party,” he said, but did not name the source.

Yacoob, a former Penang island city councillor, said the state should approve development projects only after ensuring that there was adequate and proper drainage infrastructure in place.

“That is how they do things in other countries,” he told the media after lodging the report at the Jalan Patani police station.

Yacoob, who is also Tanjong PAS division chairman, accused the state of not being serious in addressing the flood issue.

“He may not think it is very serious, but try and clean houses after floods. Just because there is more rainfall, you blame it on Typhoon Doksuri.”

Last week, the Penang government said the state had recorded its highest-ever rainfall at 270mm on Friday.

Authorities said it was equivalent to a month’s rain in just a day.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had said no drainage system could handle that amount of rainfall in over just a few hours.

He visited areas hit by floods and landslides following the heavy rain last week and earlier this week.

Another PAS leader, Iszuree Ibrahim, said the report was also lodged due to the state government’s arrogance.

“They like to point fingers at the Kelantan government when they should mind their own backyard,” said the state PAS secretary.

The former city councillor criticised the state government for overlooking RM22 million in drainage contributions that the Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) had failed to channel to the state Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) for flood-mitigation projects.

“For a competent, accountable and transparent government, how could the state overlook it?” he said, referring to the CAT principles promoted by the DAP-led administration.

The RM22 million contribution issue was highlighted in the Auditor-General’s Report 2016 Series 1.

It was picked up by critics of the state government again following the recent floods.

It was reported that the state government had given an explanation on the issue before, and state flood-mitigation committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow had instructed MPSP to hand over the funds to DID last month.

Meanwhile, Penang PAS environmental committee chairman Saiful Lizan Mohd Yusof said the party would lodge a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on Monday over the flood issue.

“We will furnish MACC with documents to show that some policies were not implemented by the state to tackle floods.”

Chow could not be reached for comment about the police report lodged against the state government. – September 23, 2017.