KUALA LUMPUR – Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has filed a motion for the Dewan Rakyat sitting tomorrow to discuss the urgent issue of flooding in the nation, especially in the peninsular east coast states.
According to a Facebook post by the Muda president today, the motion was submitted under Standing Orders 18(1) and 18(2), which pertains to how MPs can request Parliament to discuss a matter that is “definite, urgent, and of public importance.”
The latter section also details that the Dewan Rakyat speaker has the prerogative to refuse to allow the motion to be tabled if he believes that the requirements above are not met.
In a letter Syed Saddiq had sent to Speaker Datuk Johari Abdul on the matter, the former said that floods are of public interest and must be handled as soon as possible.
“I would like to suggest that several flood solutions be debated in Parliament, such as declaring a national-level climate emergency and reducing bureaucracy when handing out aid before, after, and during floods,” Syed Saddiq stated in the letter.
He added that other matters that should be debated include involving both government and opposition MPs in working with disaster management committees in districts so that assistance can be promptly delivered to victims, as well as streamlining coordination on federal and state levels.
Floods are currently happening in five states, with Kelantan and Terengganu among the worst hit while Pahang is the latest state to be affected by floods.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs, and Special Functions) Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said yesterday that the current monsoon experienced in the country is expected to last until December 24.
He added that the monsoon might bring with it strong winds, big waves, and persistent rainfall in the northern and eastern coast states of the peninsula and eastern Sabah.
The Meteorological Department yesterday also issued a continuous rain warning until December 21 for Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor, Perlis, Kedah, Perak, and Penang. – The Vibes, December 19, 2022
