The rape of the environment has resulted in dire consequences, causing untold suffering on the common people. Those who perpetrated this carnage are mostly unaffected by the calamities they caused, secure in their ‘safe zones’. They also have the financial means to meet the physical and economic challenges brought about by these disasters.
The curtains may have come down on Hulu Langat’s largest flood aid transit centre at Terra Pong Restaurant in Batu 18 on Jan 5, but those who volunteered at the centre says much more needs to be done to ensure people are able to get back on their feet again.
Many Taman Sri Muda residents cannot move on following last month’s devastating floods as their insurance claims have not been processed.
Inept self-serving politicians must be replaced by a new government of youthful and professional politicians, writes Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Mohamed Ghouse Nasuruddin.
A group of food and beverage entrepreneurs resumes their outreach programme to help Shah Alam flood victims.
Again, and again, Malaysians show their resilient nature. The beauty of Malaysians is seen in times of crisis where their compassion and humanity are not stifled by artificial constructs of ethnicity or religion, writes Datuk Seri Dr Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos.
The attention over the past two weeks has been on flood relief and rehabilitation efforts for thousands of displaced flood victims. This must continue, even as Malaysians brace for a second wave.
The Malaysian Armed Forces is known to actively work behind the scenes. Unfounded allegations of the army’s role in the recent floods have resulted in its social media going into overdrive. One unit that is at the forefront of disaster preparedness is the army’s Royal Medical Corps and its field hospitals.
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Selangor chairman Christine Chin says some 700 animals were treated by veterinarians from Universiti Putra Malaysia, as steady stream of volunteers turned up to help the society save animals in flood-ravaged Taman Sri Muda.
With the help of his friend Hisyam Ismail, and the dedication of selfless volunteers and local residents, former Kuala Lumpur mayor Tan Sri Ahmad Fuad Ismail has turned his restaurant, Terra Pong in Batu 18, Hulu Langat, into the biggest nerve centre for aid relief efforts in the area.
The recent floods show that people cannot count on elected representatives to serve them, simply because politicians are only concerned about themselves, writes Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr Mohamed Ghouse Nasuruddin.
As flood victims clamour for assistance, and Malaysians continue to play a part in flood relief efforts, here’s a list of who you can reach out to.
2021 will go down in history as the year Malaysian authorities failed its citizens. It’s time to go back to the drawing board, including re-evaluating the status of our armed forces as the first line of defence during disasters like floods.
