THE disaster management agency (NADMA) has come under heavy fire for not coordinating relief operations during the recent floods in different parts of the country.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Special Functions) Datuk Abdul Latiff Ahmad, who oversees NADMA, has been asked to tender his resignation following the agency’s disastrous role in handling the crisis.
Despite NADMA being placed under the National Security Council (MKN), its role or failure in disaster management has been questioned.
Abdul Latiff has sought to defend his role, saying that asking for his resignation does not really address the problem at hand.
If he has to resign then the same thing can be said for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
According to Abdul Latiff, NADMA, which only has 50 staff, is merely a coordinating body.
The prevention or the mitigating of disasters must be with the various levels of the government – local, state and federal.
Expecting NADMA to perform miracles is something beyond the scope and functions of the federal agency.
Recently massive floods hit different parts of the country affecting thousands of people. Lives have been lost and there were untold damages to properties.
While ordinary people scrambled to assist the victims, the agencies entrusted with the responsibility to provide assistance to the affected were puzzled as to their actual role.
The quarrel between two politicians from both sides of the political divide only demonstrated that those in charge of the containment of natural disasters were unsure of their respective roles.
They took to the media to highlight their differences as though rains causing the flood would cease once they settled their differences.
While the heavily-funded federal and state agencies were unsure of their actual role in the management of the disaster, ordinary people from all walks of life sprang into action with boats, food, water and other supplies to assist the victims.
Without the cooperation and support of these ordinary people, the suffering would have been severe and many more lives would have been lost.
The massive floods and the devastation that came from it were unprecedented. Yes, we had had floods before, but the volume and ferociousness were much severe this time around.
All signs pointed to the effects of climate change and the Government agencies were well aware of this.
In fact, climate change also meant that the Government on various levels should have been in a high state of alertness.
Meteorological warnings were there, but where were the government agencies and the politicians?
The complementary role of heavy rains and high tides in causing floods, too, are well-known.
Yet the government agencies funded by taxpayers’ money were not prepared at all in mitigating the worst effects of the floods.
In the Sri Muda area of Selangor, even the area meant for draining and storing water had been converted into housing.
The massive flow of water was interrupted, thus resulting in flooding.
This begs the question: Why were the areas meant for drainage converted into housing?
Hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ money were spent on flood mitigation but why were these measures ineffective?
Is the Government doing the right thing?
If such floods had happened elsewhere, a number of heads would have rolled.
But in Malaysia where we take pride in “Boleh” the mistakes of the past would have been repeated over and over again.
I really wonder if there is even a functioning government in the country in the first place. – Dec 24, 2021
Ramasamy Palanisamy is the state assemblyperson for Perai. He is also deputy chief minister II of Penang.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
