CIVIL servants affected by the floods will be given emergency leave, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.

“Tomorrow is a Monday, which is a working day, and they will have to work even if they have been evacuated. Since we understand their plight, the government has decided to give civil servants who are affected by the disaster emergency leave,” he told reporters at a press conference in Klang today.

He hoped the victims would be able to resume their duties once they resolve their living situation.

He also urged employers in the private sector to consider giving employees affected by the floods emergency leave.

However, he said there were two conditions that private sector employers must fulfil if they agree to give their employees emergency leave.

Ismail said it must be paid leave and employers cannot deduct the day from their employees’ annual leave balance.

Ismail said there are no laws that make it compulsory for employers to give their employees emergency leave.

He also requested that Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari and Human Resources Minister M. Saravanan engage with industry players on the matter.

“How will they go to work if they’re displaced at flood relief centres without their things and some are displaced along with their children? So, it is unfair (to ask them to work),” he said while requesting employers in the private sector to consider the emergency leave.

As for the duration of emergency leave given to civil servants, he said that will be at the discretion of the head of departments.

“We don’t expect them to return to work as soon as they return home. Maybe they can be given a day or two to clean their homes and we can ask them to return to work after that,” he added.

Ismail said there are currently more than 15,000 victims at flood relief centres.

Selangor saw what was touted as the most devastating floods of recent times after a persistent and heavy downpour for two days.

Aside from Selangor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Negri Sembilan and Malacca too were inundated with floods. – December 19, 2021.