Day: December 25, 2014

– Lokman Mustafa
The Malaysian Insider
25 December 2014

What are the prerequisites for the proclamation of a State of Emergency to be made in an area severely hit by natural disaster?

To my knowledge, such a proclamation is a formal step for local officials to receive assistance from the federal administration.

In the US, a state of emergency is issued when a disaster occurs that requires State aid to help alleviate damages.

The declaration also enables the governor of a state to make resources immediately available to rescue, evacuate and provide basic needs in affected areas.

Although the state of emergency declaration does not restrict citizen movements or activities, access to affected areas may be limited due to concerns for public safety.

The declaration is revoked when support is no longer needed for the affected areas. Continue reading “Why is it so difficult to declare State of Emergency in flood-hit areas?”

The Washington Post report of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak teeing off in Hawaii with President Obama (who is on the fifth day of a two-week vacation) on Christmas Eve caused quite a jolt, not because he was holidaying in Oahu, Hawaii, but because Najib had tried to keep his trip abroad a secret from Malaysians.

This “jolt” was compounded by Najib’s absence at a time when the country was facing its worst floods since 1971, with over 91,000 people affected in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perak, Perlis and beginning in Kedah, and with the flood situation expected to worsen and to hit Johore in a massive manner in the last few days of the year.

In response to mounting criticisms of Najib again being an absentee Prime Minister at a time when Malaysians are facing a natural disaster, the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin responded with insufferable complacency saying: “I am in charge, don’t worry. Have trust in me.”

Malaysian have reasons to worry that Muhyiddin is up to task of handling the nation’s worst floods since 1971, with his stubborn refusal to agree to the need to declare an emergency to focus all Federal government resources to deal with the devastation caused by the floods. Continue reading “Why PM not only away in secret holiday in Hawaii, but not a single UMNO Minister visiting hardest-hit Kelantan to show the Federal Government’s concern for the worst floods since 1971?”

COMMENTARY BY THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER
25 December 2014

More than 90,000 people have been evacuated in the peninsula’s east cost states as floodwaters rise due to incessant rain. While the floods are an annual event, this year’s edition has been the worst in living memory.

Hence, the mounting criticism against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who has been photographed having a round of golf with US President Barack Obama in Hawaii on Christmas Eve.

This is not the first time a Malaysian prime minister has been under flak for not being around when floods hit the country hard. The last was in 2006 when then prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was holidaying in Perth while floodwaters inundated Johor.

Pak Lah, as he is popularly known, came back but the damage was done. It is not known if Najib will cut short his annual year-end holiday and fly home to lead the relief operations. Continue reading “Criticism rains on absent leaders as floodwaters rise”