Kuala lumpur: The government has taken proactive steps to strengthen preparedness and early warning systems to address the risk of a second wave of floods, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said. Ahmad Zahid, who is also chairman of the National Disaster Management Committee, emphasized that although weather conditions are difficult to predict accurately, the current priority is the early evacuation of residents, especially those living in high-risk areas.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Ahmad Zahid stated that the potential second wave is expected to affect the East Coast and extend beyond the coastal areas of Kelantan and Terengganu to Pahang, and further to Johor, as well as Sarawak. He highlighted the importance of the preparedness and early warning systems that have been put in place, ensuring that evacuations can be conducted early to prevent loss of life and damage to documents, and to ensure that victims from high-risk areas are ready to be moved to temporary evacuation centers.
He made these remarks to reporters following a working visit to Universiti Kuala Lumpur British Malaysian Institute (UniKL BMI).
In another development, Ahmad Zahid addressed the ongoing disputes concerning the land premium issue between the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) and the Terengganu government. He assured that the government would handle the matter prudently to protect the interests and welfare of settlers. Ahmad Zahid affirmed that cooperation between the Federal Government through FELDA and FGV, together with the Terengganu government, particularly the State Secretary, would be strengthened to find an optimal solution to any outstanding issues.
He assured that negotiations are ongoing and prioritizing the settlers’ welfare remains the focus. The media had reported that the Terengganu government agreed to extend the remediation period by one month until January 7, following positive developments in negotiations with FELDA regarding the issue. Terengganu State Secretary Datuk Zulkifli Ali mentioned that after a notice of offence under Section 425 of the National Land Code was issued, the state government engaged in multiple discussions with FELDA’s top management to seek a comprehensive resolution to the matter.