More urgency needed to save flood victims

Slow rescue works carried out by the rescue teams in the flood in Segamat is causing alot of grief , anger and dissatisfaction.

Many flood victims have been stranded in their houses for more than 10 hours. Some have climbed up to the roof top and waited for hours to be rescued. Yesterday a sick woman died in her son’s arm as no one came to rescue them for more than 24 hours.

According to the newly set-up Chinese-language website (www.segamat.8talk.net) that reports on the flood situation in Segamat, the army is demanding RM250 from the flood victims in return for aid to cross the river by boat. I urged the government to investigate this matter and handle various complaints made by the flood victims.

The truckloads of complaints about the slow rescue and relief works in Segamat reflect very badly on the response and rescue action carried out by the National Disaster Relief and Management Committee which was set up after the tsunami that hit South Asia in December 2004.

This committee was set up to respond to crisis and disaster that happen in Malaysia and the region, however, two years after the tsunami, the pathetic uncivil defence response by the committee shows the it is not ready to give immediate helping hands and alms to the victims. There is no grave doubts in Malaysians’ minds over our ability to handle crisis and natural disasters.

I urged the Federal Government to utilise every available resources and machinery from all parts of the countries, including calling up RELA and enforcement units of various local governments, to carry out rescue works in the worst hit flood areas in Johor, particularly Segamat, to prevent more lives lost in this serious flood.