[UPDATED] Dewan Rakyat to meet Jan 20 over flood disaster

KUALA LUMPUR – A special Dewan Rakyat sitting will be held on January 20 to discuss matters related to the flood disaster.

The sitting is held in accordance with Standing Order 11(3) and has received the assent of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, after the matter was informed to the palace.

In a statement, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the meeting is necessary to allow the government space to explain its plans and actions in handling the disaster that has so far taken the lives of more than 50 individuals.

“The sitting is to discuss a matter of public interest, namely the flood and post-flood (efforts), coordination of aid to Keluarga Malaysia, and long-term flood management plan. 

“This session is also the best platform for MPs to obtain feedback pertaining to the flood.” 

The Dewan Rakyat was initially scheduled to sit from February 28 until March 24. 

Ismail Sabri’s announcement comes amid pressure from various parties for the government to allow the house to reconvene for a special sitting following the country’s worst natural disaster in recent history. 

Among those to have pushed for an immediate sitting are Ismail Sabri’s own party Umno and opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan. 

The floods have hit major parts of the country since December 18, inundating thousands of residential and business premises and damaging property worth millions of ringgit. 

Bukit Aman yesterday confirmed 54 fatalities due to the floods, while two individuals are still missing. 

This figure is already higher than past big floods reported in the country, including the one in 1971, where 30 people were killed, and the 21 deaths in 2014. 

Ismail Sabri’s government has been in the public’s line of fire since the flood devastated various areas, with many condemning the administration and authorities for their lethargic response. 

The prime minister was also criticised for holding a party meeting and cutting cake on the first night of the disaster as vast areas of the west coast became inundated, forcing thousands out of their homes. – The Vibes, January 6, 2022