Kit Siang urges public support for Najib's flood relief efforts

DAP leader Lim Kit Siang has urged public support for prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the latter’s flood relief efforts.

Lim said the response to the worst flood disaster in the nation’s history cannot be the government’s responsibility alone, but must involve the efforts of all Malaysians.

“But, it must by spearheaded by the Federal Government, and in view of the magnitude of the disaster, by none other than the Prime Minister himself. So as to mobilise every available ounce of resources to render help to those in need in the quickest time possible," he said in a statement today.

However, Lim said only one out of his three objectives in flood relief efforts has been achieved to date, and he hope the other two will follow suit.

"Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muyhiddin Yassin had said that although the government had expected one of the worst floods this year, the severity and scale of the floods had taken the authorities completely by surprise as it was 'worse than anticipated', overwhelming all disaster management plans and preparations.

"Such a bureaucratic mess can only be straightened up immediately with the Prime Minister taking charge of the flood disaster relief operations, cutting through all red tape and bureaucratic bottlenecks.

“This was why my focus in the past few days were on three objectives, firstly, to persuade the Prime Minister to cut short his vacation in Hawaii to return to Malaysia to take personal charge of the flood disaster relief operation; secondly, to seek an emergency Cabinet meeting within 24 hours on the flood disaster and thirdly, to persuade the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to declare a state of emergency to deal with the nation’s worst flood disaster in recent history so there can be a full and fast mobilisation of flood relief efforts at federal, state and local level," he said.

Lim also acknowledged Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim's statement that there was adequate food supplies as well as assets to send essentials to flood victims, but the challenge was the inability of rescuers to reach those stranded.

"Clearly, the past criteria for the declaration of a natural disaster emergency requiring hundreds of thousands of flood refugee or full disruption of power and water supplies should be changed, as such onerous conditions are not imposed for declaration of emergencies for flood disasters in other parts of the world.

"This was what I meant when I had tweeted yesterday that 'Many tried childish provocations. Why I do not turun padang in Kelantan to help flood victims. I am doing national service which they cannot do'."

"I never said I would not visit Kelantan or the flood-hit areas, as when faced with natural disasters, Malaysians regardless of race, religion, gender, age or political party, should unite as one Malaysian people to help all victims," he said, adding that priority should be given to the flood victims.