Flooding in Northern Peninsular Malaysia Highlights

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 000802 SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED SIPDIS STATE FOR OES E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV PGOV MY SUBJECT: Flooding in Northern Peninsular Malaysia Highlights Underlying Political Tensions ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Extensive rains over the last week have triggered flooding in northern peninsular Malaysia following heavy downpour in the states of Kedah and Penang. According to media and Malaysian government reports, the floods have affected more than 10,000 people, including forced evacuations for more than 1800 residents, one fatality and road closings due to landslides. The Chief Ministers of Kedah and Penang, both opposition-held states, took this opportunity to appeal to the federal government to expedite completion of at least four major flood mitigation projects, which it had put on hold following opposition victories in the March 8 elections in these two states. The flooding in Kedah and Penang also highlights how the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) have contributed to the disaster by playing politics with key, previously approved infrastructure projects. Consequently, the opposition-controlled states hope to force the government to resume spending or suffer increased voter resentment. END SUMMARY. Tens of Thousands Affected by Floods -------------- ¶2. (U) Since September 6, the northern Malaysian states of Penang and Kedah, both under control of the opposition People's Alliance (Pakatan),have been battered by a week's worth of heavy rains, the worst in 14 years. The severe rains have affected ten thousand residents and lead to the evacuations of over 1800 people in both states. Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's political secretary Ng Wei Aik announced an order on September 7 for several hundred residents to evacuate their residences in the state capital of Georgetown. Following heavy rainfall over the weekend, the Kedah state government evacuated 1565 residents to five relief centers, while the Penang state government relocated 300 victims to four flood evacuation centers. A majority of Penang victims were allowed to return to their homes a day later. However, more than 1,114 Kedah residents from ten villages still remain at five relief centers. Incomplete Mitigation Projects Worsen Flooding -------------- - ¶3. (U) On September 9, Kedah Chief Minister Azizan Abdul Razak and Penang Chief Minister Lim appealed to federal authorities to complete long-standing flood mitigation projects and to approve at least four pending projects to prevent a repeat of the region's massive floods. Kedah Chief Minister Azizan believed that the state's incomplete flood mitigation projects combined with the region's shallow rivers contributed to flooding in parts of Kedah. He specifically noted that the Sungai Muda project in Kuala Muda was initiated during the Eighth Malaysia Plan and had yet to be completed. Chief Minister Azizan argued that Kedah should be given priority for flood mitigation projects as the state represents Malaysia's "rice bowl" and provides much of the country's food security needs. He also urged that other infrastructure projects under the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER),which includes drainage system improvements, be expedited. Meanwhile, Penang Chief Minister Lim reportedly sent a letter to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on September 10 to request a total of RM970 million (USD28.5 million) for flood mitigation projects in the state. CM Lim stated he would personally meet with PM Abdullah to ask that the funds be expedited. The requested amount is RM370 million (USD10.8 million) beyond what the federal government allocated for flood mitigation under the Ninth Malaysian Plan. Such projects would include widening rivers, building retention ponds and pump houses as well as upgrading existing drainage systems. ¶4. (SBU) Shortly after the Kedah and Penang Chief Ministers' criticisms of the federal government, Deputy Prime Minister Najib urged all BN parliamentarians and assemblymen to be among the first to visit disaster areas. Deputy PM Najib exhorted, "We are of the view that this gesture is the right and most appropriate thing to do as community leaders as it can help foster a closer relationship between leaders and the people." He added that traditionally all BN representatives have made it a principle to visit flood and fire victims. Najib's comments followed remarks by Selangor Chief Minister Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, from the Pakatan opposition alliance, that it would be a waste of time and money for him to visit victims of a recent flood in Klang, an area 32km (approx. 20 miles) from Kuala Lumpur, if he had no resources to bring to the victims. BN-influenced media portrayed Khalid's words as insensitive. In a September 8 meeting with the Ambassador, Khalid said he was examining ways to mobilize community groups, NGOs and the private sector to respond to future natural disasters. Comment -------------- ¶5. (SBU) Kedah and Penang state governments for the most part KUALA LUMP 00000802 002 OF 002 quickly provided food and shelter to flood victims through their state Welfare Departments. The flood damage in key opposition-held states such as Penang and Kedah also has become an issue in the ongoing contentious relations and power struggles between the ruling BN in the federal government and opposition party leaders at the state level. Most prominently, Penang and Kedah government officials used the disaster to highlight delays in the completion of and funding for key flood mitigation projects in northern peninsular Malaysia. Meanwhile, calls by the federal government to BN legislators to demonstrate their empathy for flood victims by visiting disaster areas ring empty in the face of the ruling BN coalition's effort to penalize opposition controlled states by putting holds on funding for key infrastructure projects that could have helped mitigate the impact of the disaster. KEITH