THE recent floods that devastated large parts of the Klang Valley and several other states show that the government needs a total change of mindset from its penchant for development projects to putting the environment and people first, activists say.

They said Malaysia must prioritise climate resilience and adaptation for the country to stand a chance against future natural catastrophes.

President of Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia (Peka) Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil said Malaysia must stop focusing on infrastructure projects.

“Malaysia has never prioritised the environment, it has never been the first agenda. We want to build the tallest, biggest and the most of the most. They only know how to do projects, building and destroying the forest,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

“We have been telling them everything needs to be balanced. We need at least 50% of the forest as it is our water catchment.”

When a natural disaster happens, instead of finding the cause and rectifying it, she said the government prioritised cash handouts.

“Malaysia has rainfall all year round, if it’s non-stop, (without the forest) it will be a catastrophe. We cannot blame the weather, we are on the equator and the forest protects us.”

Peka has 20 recommendations, which include amendments to the law to put the federal government in charge of forests, instead of state governments.

Other proposals include gazetting the Titiwangsa range as a national park, putting a stop to unethical logging and mining, rehabilitating lost forests and building flood mitigation infrastructures.

Heavy downpour over the December 18-19 weekend saw several states inundated by floods with water levels reaching rooftops in some areas.

In Shah Alam and Hulu Langat, many people were stranded on rooftops for days, waiting to be rescued, while some houses were swept away by heavy currents.

In Karak and Bentong in Pahang, the downpour saw logs from the forest washed into town and obliterating homes. The forestry department has since denied any active logging in the area.

To date, at least 48 people have been killed, while thousands are still in relief centres nationwide.

Climate adaptation

Meena Raman, president of Sahabat Alam Malaysia, said the country must start investing in adaptation plans and measures.

“Urgent responses are needed now and we can learn from what other countries are already doing.

“We have to sound the alarm bells even louder and adapt to the ‘new-normal’ impacts of climate change. We have to also be ready to face situations where adaptation is no longer possible,” she said.

Malaysia can no longer pretend that it is business as usual and continue building more, with no regard to climate impact, Meena added.

“Urgent adaptation plans that include ecosystem-based approaches are needed to ensure buildings, infrastructure and coastal areas are resilient to storms, increased rain, withstand floods and sea-level rise, etc.

“Forest and soil conservation measures, including the protection of watersheds and rivers to prevent and mitigate against floods, turning urban areas into ‘sponge cities’, and the strengthening of our coastlines through mangrove forest protection and rehabilitation are all vital parts of the plan.

“More comprehensive measures are also needed in dealing with droughts, heatwaves, water shortages, impacts on agriculture, health, extreme weather and disasters.”

Failing which, Malaysia will be facing catastrophic consequences and the recent floods are only a start, she added.

Communities must step up

Shariffa urged the public to talk more and spread awareness about how deforestation is affecting Malaysia’s climate.

Kennedy Michael, the founder of Alliance of River Three, said communities must take the lead in ensuring flood mitigation measures are in place in their respective areas.

“This (flooding) is not new, nothing has changed, it has grown worse over the decades. Now we have an additional issue of climate change.

“Every action that we take now has consequences and it has a compound impact.

“(It is time) for citizens to educate themselves and be informed on good governance, on the environment and climate change. The roles and responsibility of the citizen in nation building is not often talked about. Instead, we always focus on the rights of the citizens.”

Michael said communities must start thinking about setting up a disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) system headed by the residents’ association or the village heads.

“People have to be more community minded. You cannot rely on anyone but yourself and your community.

“DRRM means that you must have boats, early warning systems, clothes, communication networks with the authorities and higher ground to evacuate to when there is flood. When the water starts rising you have a response plan ready,” he said.

Looking at how the government responded to the recent flood, Michael said the people should hold them accountable for the inaction.

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s administration has come under fire for its slow response in flood relief efforts.

It was also revealed that Taman Sri Muda, one of the areas in Shah Alam badly affected by the flood, was said to be a flood retention area. The housing area is surrounded by Sungai Klang and has been prone to recurring floods since 1995.

Environmentalists are now calling for a state level public inquiry into the housing project. – January 1, 2022.