Penang MP rapped for wanting ‘budget’ for flood mitigation projects

A PENANG Opposition lawmaker was rapped for voting against the Budget 2018 yet wanting a “budget” for flood mitigation projects.

“Why are you asking for a budget when you voted against it? You (Opposition) even went to the extent of calling for a block vote against the Budget on Monday evening,” Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim said when answering a supplementary question during minister’s question time.

Shahidan was responding to Sim Tze Tzin’s (PKR-Bayan Baru) suggestion that the Federal Government approved contingency funds to help Penang.

Several Barisan Nasional backbenchers could be heard shouting “no shame” as he demanded more allocation although opposing the Budget.

Sim said the Federal Government approved RM2bil to help Kelantan and Terengganu after the massive floods at the end of 2014.

Shahidan said the massive floods in Kelantan and Terengganu affected some 650,000 evacuees while only 7,680 had registered for aid after the recent Penang floods.

Shahidan said the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) was only involved in rescue, evacuation and relief operations and not the overall budget for the state.

Sim earlier took a swipe at Datuk Shabudin Yahaya (BN-Tasek Gelugor) for attributing the flood in Penang to overdevelopment.

Shahidan, while saying that environmental factors and extreme weather were reasons for the flood, acknowledged that overdevelopment was a factor.

In a written reply to Lim Guan Eng (DAPBagan), Shahidan said that Nadma had given out RM234.9mil in compensation to flood victims between 2013 and as of September this year.

He said that only those registered for the aid were given RM500 each.