KUALA LUMPUR – The government has been urged to find a long-term solution for floods and drainage systems in Taman Sri Muda, which has been known to be a low-lying, flood-prone area for years.
Speaking to The Vibes, Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd managing director Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin said as of today, the floodwaters in the Section 25 housing area has not receded although the rain has stopped.
“Something must be missing there. If it doesn’t rain for the whole day, the floodwaters should have receded. But as of now, the floodwaters are still not receding.
“This means something was not done correctly in terms of our development. The government definitely needs to look into this issue, especially the drainage system.
“People need to realise that climate change is not only happening elsewhere, it affects all of us in the world,” Ameer told The Vibes.
As at 4pm yesterday, six bodies were recovered from Taman Sri Muda.
Residents are still stuck at their homes without electricity, clean water and food, unable to leave as the floodwaters have yet to recede completely.
Many have been posting calls for help online since Saturday.
Rescue efforts are ongoing but have been hampered by debris and other resource challenges.
Commenting on reports of flood victims looting a Mydin outlet in Taman Sri Muda, Ameer said he had absolved (“halalkan”) their actions, although he does not condone the act of stealing.
“Although I do not support the act of stealing, in an emergency, maybe they have no other choice.
“Therefore, I sincerely ‘halalkan’ those who committed these acts purely for survival due to slow response on assistance and not with bad intentions.
“If they were looting to sell those items to get money in return to buy food, that is okay. I halalkan,” he said.
The Malaysia Retailers Association vice-president said losses suffered from the looting incident and damage from the floods amounted to RM3 million.
“Damage to the store due to floods alone in that one particular outlet is approximately RM2 million to RM3 million.
“From the looting incident, they took away some expensive things like watches and electrical items. My team said it comes up to about RM300,000.” – The Vibes, December 21, 2021
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