PUTRAJAYA has the assets and people with professional training to mount a speedy rescue operation, Klang MP Charles Santiago said today.

He told the Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob that the excuse of high water levels hindering rescue work and food distribution was unacceptable.

“If my office can hire big trucks to deliver necessities and food, then the government should improve the way they manage the situation,” he told Ismail during a meeting in Parliament today.

Santiago posted a picture and his comments to the prime minister on Facebook.

He said most of the food delivered yesterday to victims was managed by his office, but it was without the support of the Welfare Department (JKM).

He noted it was impossible for them to distribute food and drinks to all flood victims in Klang.

Taman Sri Muda, which is located near Klang, is one of the worst-affected flood-hit areas where residents have been stranded on rooftops or on the upper-floor of their homes posting for help on social media since Saturday, after water levels rose swiftly and official help from the authorities was nowhere in sight.

“They have not received any assistance for the past 48 hours. Their safety and lives are in danger,” Santiago said.

Earlier, several volunteers told The Malaysian Insight that they decided to help Taman Sri Muda residents after realising that official channels of rescue were not forthcoming.

They paddled their boats to deliver food and also to bring some residents to safety.

At least 100 people volunteered, based on observations by The Malaysian Insight at the scene, where the flood waters reached 8ft (2.44m) deep.

Meanwhile, speaker Azhar Azizan said the Dewan Rakyat cannot debate the Klang Valley flooding today because there was only one item on the agenda.

“We only have one agenda today, that is the debate on the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act,” Azhar told the Dewan Rakyat.

“It is also up to the minister to decide when they want to do a briefing and then inform me. This is how it is done.

“We have to follow the rules and not jump from issue to issue,” the former lawyer said in response to Lim Guan Eng (Bagan-PH), Ahmad Maslan (Pontian-BN) and Mohamad Sabu (Kota Raja-PH), who requested the floods be opened for debate. – December 20, 2021.