Briefing for MPs in flood areas

KUALA LUMPUR: Parliamentarians in flood-prone constituencies will be called for a briefing on flood disaster management.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the briefing is part of the preparations to face the upcoming flood season which is expected end of this year.
"Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim will hold a special briefing to all involved parliamentarians, as well as districts officers," he said.
"This is to ensure there is standardised implementation and management," he told a press conference after chairing the High-level Committee Meeting on National Flood Disaster and Haze Management here yesterday.
Also present in the press conference were Shahidan and Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek.
Ahmad Zahid said the meeting will be held soon after the Deepavali festivities next week.
He said yesterday's meeting also agreed that the flood management template used in Kemaman, Terengganu last year would be the benchmark to be implemented nationwide.
He said this was decided following the example exhibited by Ahmad Shabery, who is Kemaman MP, in managing the situation before, during and after the floods last year.
"The methods used in Kemaman will be the new template for flood management at national, state, district and community levels," he said.
Ahmad Zahid said the Education Ministry has also shown its commitment to upgrade facilities in schools that will be used as flood evacuation centres.
He added the committee will ask Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak to provide additional allocations for flood management if the current allocation is insufficient.
"Budget 2016 has allocated RM180 million for the country's flood management," he said.
"Although the amount seems to be small, the allocation did not include assets procurement as well as repair works for infrastructure," he added.