Kayaks And Candles Pkr Division Preps For Ge And Floods

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PKR’s Hulu Selangor branch is prepping for the flood season as political parties clamour to activate their campaign machinery.
The division has already purchased two engine-powered kayaks, six four-wheel drives, as well as LED lights, candles, generators, batteries and medication, on top of food and clothing to support anticipated flood relief efforts.
“We see the government is busy preparing for the 15th general election - but what about preparing areas which will be affected by floods?
“For us, launching our flood preparation squad is equally important. Parliament may have been dissolved, but we cannot forget about the impending floods.
“This is commonplace in November and December, so we have to prioritise the people,” branch chief Dr Sathia Prakash Nadarajan told reporters in Antara Gapi yesterday.
He said his team is ready to assist some 250,000 residents of Hulu Selangor in the event of flooding in the area which, at 1,700 square kilometres, is the size of Malacca.
The team has already identified potential hotspots, particularly those near rivers, he said.
“At the same time, we are focusing on areas which have a high potential of flooding but have never experienced it before.”
MetMalaysia warnings
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) said continuous heavy rain is expected from mid-November and it would cause large-scale floods.
“If the general election is held at the beginning of November, the possibility of it meeting major floods is low. Major floods are expected in mid-November to the end of November,” said MetMalaysia director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah to New Straits Times.
Earlier, MetMalaysia’s deputy director-general Mohd Hashim Mohd Anip said from a disaster management perspective, it is not advisable to hold GE this year due to expected flooding.
Scattered thunderstorms have already caused major flash floods across Malaysia this month, with Langkawi the latest to be hit yesterday.
The Election Commission is due to meet on Thursday (Oct 20) to determine the polling date for GE15.
The polls must be held within 60 days of Parliament’s dissolution, which took place on Oct 10.
In the 14th general election, the 11-day campaigning period began about two weeks after the EC met. - Mkini

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