PENANG intends to review its standard operating procedure (SOP) for flood relief to have better coordination between state and federal agencies, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

He said a national review would help improve how states could immediately get help from the army during disasters.

“We would also like to have better coordination and get input from the Meterological Department. If we can get alerts of severe storms, then we (can) immediately seek help.

“In this case, nobody expected the severity of the storm. We could not believe it.

“If we could immediately call the armed forced to assist, we could respond much quicker, rather than (waiting for) the CM to call the home minister for help,” he told reporters today in a press conference on the flood situation in Penang.

Lim recounted how he had to call Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also the home minister, in the early morning out of desperation for help.

Penang, Lim said, did not have sufficient resources, equipment or manpower to help the thousands of people affected by the floods.

“In our desperation I had to call Zahid three times. He was sleeping. He finally picked up the third call at 3.30am.

“He agreed to send help immediately. Earlier this morning, he called me to give his guarantee that help will continue to come to aid Penang’s flood relief efforts,” he said.

The army has deployed 170 personnel from Penang, Sungai Petani and Alor Setar, to assist flood victim rescue efforts in the northeast district of the island, and the mainland’s northern and central Seberang Prai districts.

Lim said Penang was thankful that politics was put aside in the interest of the people during this time of need.

Asked if there was need for an emergency motion in the ongoing state legislative assembly, he said the state government needed to discuss with the federal government first.

For the time being, he said the priority was still on rescuing flood victims.

He also said the state government was still unable to determine the extent of the damages caused by the storm.

Meanwhile, state and local authorities are working on ensuring that schools involved in the flood relief operations will be ready for the SPM examination that starts tomorrow.

State secretary Farizan Darus said only four schools in the island’s southwest district, and one in Southern Seberang Prai, were being used as evacution centres.

With flood waters receding, he said the council will be helping to clean up the schools in time for the exams. – November 5, 2017.