SEVERAL members of Parliament today urged the government to carry out holistic long-term plans to overcome the impacts of floods.

Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim (Baling-BN) said Malaysia needed to emulate the Thai government in building flood mitigation barriers at the border of Sg Golok, Kelantan to reduce the effect of worsening floods.

“Unfortunately, we (Malaysia), have not completed ours… that is why floodwaters overflowed into residential areas in Rantau Panjang and its surrounding areas.

“Therefore, I am very confident with the announcement of RM4.172 billion budget for the Environment and Water Ministry in which RM1.6 billion is allocated to the Department of Irrigation and Drainage for flood mitigation projects, especially in flood-prone areas,” he said when debating the royal address at Dewan Rakyat today.

He said works to stabilise river banks, upgrade canals, river deepening, and the maintenance of rivers as well as reservoirs in urban areas including Kuala Lumpur should be expedited.

Abdul Azeez was also of the view that the Economic Planning Unit could propose to the government to implement a private finance initiative if the government’s funds for flood mitigation was insufficient.

In sharing his view, Dr Tan Yee Kew (Wangsa Maju-PH) said the country needs holistic solutions for floods, especially in Kelantan and Terengganu, which have been occurring every year for decades, resulting in property losses and deaths.

“I was told by villagers that they were forced to live in flood areas as they could not afford to buy houses away from their villages.

“The long-term solution is to relocate the entire village from flood areas to other safer locations,” she said.

She gave the example of what had happened in Selangor in 1926 in which the entire Kuala Kubu town was relocated to Kuala Kubu Baru after a major flood, apart from the proposal to build a retention pond in the town area as well as new guidelines in town planning.

Tiong King Sing (Bintulu-GPS) also said the government needed to speed up efforts to deepen rivers especially in Bintulu and Sibu, Sarawak, as flood preventive measures in the state.

R.S.N. Rayer (Jelutong-PH) and Maria Chin Abdullah (Petaling Jaya-PH) also spoke on the same matter today.

The Dewan will sit again on Monday. – Bernama, March 3, 2022.