Govt Steps Up Flood Preparedness Measures For Possible Second Wave

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 (Bernama) -- The government has taken proactive steps to strengthen preparedness and early warning systems to address the risk of a second wave of floods, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also chairman of the National Disaster Management Committee, said although weather conditions are difficult to predict accurately, the current priority is the early evacuation of residents, especially those living in high-risk areas.

“We cannot predict it precisely, but this second wave is expected to affect the East Coast and spread beyond coastal areas of Kelantan and Terengganu to Pahang, and further to Johor, as well as Sarawak.

“What is important is the preparedness and early warning systems we have put in place, so that evacuations can be carried out early to prevent loss of life and damage to documents, and to ensure that victims from high-risk areas are ready to be moved to temporary evacuation centres,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters after a working visit to Universiti Kuala Lumpur British Malaysian Institute (UniKL BMI) here today.

In a separate development, Ahmad Zahid said the government would address any disputes arising from the land premium issue between the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) and the Terengganu government in a prudent manner to safeguard the interests and welfare of settlers.

He said cooperation between the Federal Government through FELDA and FGV, together with the Terengganu government, particularly the State Secretary, would continue to be strengthened to find the best solution to any outstanding issues.

“There is nothing that cannot be negotiated, and our priority is the interests and welfare of the settlers,” he said.

The media had reported that the Terengganu government agreed to extend the remediation period by one month until Jan 7 following positive developments in negotiations with FELDA over the issue.

Terengganu State Secretary Datuk Zulkifli Ali was reported as saying that after a notice of offence under Section 425 of the National Land Code was issued, the state government held several rounds of discussions with FELDA’s top management to seek a comprehensive resolution to the matter.

-- BERNAMA