Is Malaysia Prepared for the Next Wave of Floods?
HAKAM Youth speaks to environmental activist Aidil Iman Aidid to understand how Malaysia has failed to address the recurring flood crisis for years and the people responsible behind them.
SUARA MANDIRI Issue #13
The recent floods between December 2021 and January 2022 as well as March 2022 in numerous locations all over Malaysia have caused great damage to the people and their property. Data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) shows that a total of 60 districts from 11 states have been affected by the floods in 2021, causing RM 6.1 billion loss in addition to the tens of lives perished.[1] From the figure, RM 1.6 billion alone was from damaged or destroyed living quarters[2], resulting in 120,000 people being displaced by the floods.[3]
Although it is debatable if the floods are merely due to natural causes, these catastrophes have occurred more frequently in recent years and have been deemed to be a result of climate change. For every increase of 1°C, the atmosphere gains an extra 7% of moisture.[4] In the past three decades, extreme rainfall has increased by 35% in Kuala Lumpur.[5] A major factor contributing to the floods and climate change in Malaysia is the rapid rate of deforestation through legal and illegal logging activities. Forests are important carbon sinks, and also prevent erosion and flooding by capturing water with their roots. Yet between 2002 and 2020, Malaysia lost 2.7 million hectares of humid primary forest, the equivalent of 34% of Malaysia’s total tree cover and 17% of Malaysia’s humid primary forest.
More has to be done to limit climate change – it is not a distant nor minor problem to be swept under the carpet, but one already impacting our lives vastly. However, the question is - who bears the onus?
Pondering upon the parties and entities responsible for preventing occurrences of flash floods and other natural disasters, HAKAM Youth speaks to environmental activist, research analyst and student, Aidil Iman Aidid, to understand how Malaysia has failed to address the recurring flood crisis for years and the measures needed to be taken to mitigate effects of climate change.
Shared Responsibilities: State Government and Federal Government
Malaysia is a federal state. It differs from a unitary government, which is governed by a single central authority, and a confederation, in which the central government is weaker than its state counterparts. Accordingly, the distribution of responsibilities between the state and the federal government has been put forth in the Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution, outlining the extent of powers and functions to be exercised by each body.
The state legislature is empowered to act on areas like land, public works, local government, agriculture and forestry, Islamic law, and public holidays under Article 73-79 of the Federal Constitution. The state executive, in turn, has administrative power over issues that the state legislature may legislate under the constitution, according to Article 80 of the federal constitution. Malaysian federalism is quite robust, with the federal government wielding significantly more power than the separate state governments. This is reflected in the allocation of funds to the state and federal governments in the budget.
The federal government, while adopting the doctrine of separation of powers as outlined in Article 127 of the Federal Constitution, is divided into three branches - executive, legislative and judiciary. All areas on which Parliament can pass laws are under the executive authority of the federal government, whereas issues on which the Legislative Assemblies can pass laws are under the administrative authority of the states.
Status Quo of Action Plan by the State and Federal Governments
Currently, the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) is in charge of disaster management at the federal level. NADMA was created in 2015 as a response to the banjir kuning (yellow flood) in 2014.[6] Its responsibilities include formulating a national disaster management policy, regulating the implementation of said policy, providing humanitarian aid and monetary aid for victims.[7] According to the current guidelines, the District Disaster Management Committee (JPBD) and the Civil Defense Department (APM) are in charge of handling natural disasters at the district level; the State Disaster Management Committee (JPBN) and APM are in charge at the state level; the Central Disaster Management Committee (JPBP) and NADMA are in charge on the national level.[8]
The whole plan sounded good on paper. Yet when the floods occurred in December 2021, it was absolute chaos. The unpreparedness of Selangor especially was shocking (“luar biasa” in his exact words), Aidil commented. Despite Member of Parliament Nurul Izzah Anwar having warned about floods occurring in the monsoon season during a parliamentary meeting in July,[9] despite the Meteorological Department making warnings since 11th December,[10] little has been done by the federal or state governments to mitigate or prepare for the floods. The relief effort was poorly coordinated, with some victims being stranded for days.[11] Undoubtedly, there would be less suffering and loss of lives if natural disaster management was more efficient.
There are two major factors to the failure of the government to handle the floods in December 2021. Aidil opines that the fragmented relationship between the federal and state levels has led to their failure to carry out a systematic, cohesive collaborative effort in handling the floods. NADMA was also inefficient, and it should be restructured, Aidil further said. While there have been talks of restructuring NADMA in January 2022,[12] so far there has been no further news.
Managing Floods: What Went Wrong?
Among neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia, Malaysia has historically been shown to be less prone to being clobbered by major natural disasters such as typhoons and tsunamis. However, we have been exposed to major floods, droughts, haze as well as landslides, now a more common occurrence presumably due to climate change.
In December 2014, Malaysia experienced one of the worst monsoon floods that had caused major damage to the infrastructure and impacted several states, with over half a million people.[13] The most recent case of flood faced by Malaysians across several states, including Selangor, once dubbed as the best prepared to face disaster, had taken place in December 2021 and the major flood continued on the East Coast until January 2022.[14]
In their general efforts to mitigate the effect of natural disasters, the federal government had established top-down management spearheaded by the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) at the Federal level operating via a Committee System Disaster Management. NADMA was established to replace the National Security Council (NSC) as the focal entity for disaster management.[15] Meanwhile, the State Disaster Management and Relief Committee (SDMRC) is appointed to manage state-level disasters.
In the formation of the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) in Malaysia, a total of 68 approved agencies constituted the DRM. However, only 25 agencies were committed to preparing approximately 200 parliamentary constituencies prone to natural disasters for the worst under pre-disaster phases.[16] This is worrisome for the people - despite statistics and experts at their expense, the federal government still lack initiative in preparing for foreseeable natural disasters.
It has been observed, despite the efforts of the federal government in implementing top-down management for natural disasters which includes the state government per se, the focus has largely been on post-natural disasters and less on the preparation for them. The issue arising from the lack of co-participation of both federal and state governments in discussing matters such as land management which the state government holds authority over as per the State List in the Ninth Schedule[17], allows much room for mismanagement and lack of sustainable infrastructure.
Even state governments who have full authority in land management matters are not capable to plan sustainable development with the ability to withstand natural disasters. However, it is more disappointing to see the federal government not being proactive in ensuring that state governments are equipped to make green decisions on matters involving the management of natural disasters. An attempt to absolve liability was depicted in the statement made by Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, where he stated that NADMA is only to disburse any monetary aid to the victims, and is tasked to be directly involved in managing disasters.[18]
Malaysia’s country risk profile shows low scores wherein 2019, the country’s Natural Hazard and Exposure risk is 3.4/10; the Vulnerability score is 3.0/10; and the Lack of Coping Capacity score of 3.2/10. From the latter score, it is evident both the state and federal governments have failed to deploy immediate assistance to the victims of natural disasters and provide effective preparatory measures despite the moderately high Natural Hazard and Exposure risk.
As observed repeatedly during the annual floods in Kelantan, Kedah and Pahang, victims are left to mobilize themselves through community efforts.[19] Such mismanagement and failure to coordinate responses to foreseeable floods in flood-prone states simply cannot be justified. Proper coordination for disaster management can easily be executed by relying on experts’ forewarning and previous history of floods. However, it is evident that the management of natural disasters has often faced the brunt of politics. Simply put, changes in government often result in the implementation of policies and operational coordination being affected. National crises should be dealt with by civil servants irrespective of political shifts.[20]
Common Disaster in Asia: Practical Approaches of Countries
Several countries have also faced issues of natural disasters, given the monsoon heavily affects the Asian region besides being a by-product of urbanisation. The most common natural disaster in the Asia-Pacific region is flash floods.[21] According to Aidil Iman, mitigation of natural disasters especially floods must focus on urban planning and nature ought to be incorporated into urban planning to reduce the effect of urbanisation[23].
He referred to China, a country steadfast in tackling issues of recurrent floods by creating a “sponge city”, a concept underpinned by an artificial wetland system technologically advanced to hold water in large volumes to slow down any water runoff. Japan, on the other hand, has optimised disaster management by building the world’s largest underground reservoir in the city of Tokyo, a common flood-ridden city.[22] The reservoir allows floodwater from extreme rainfalls and major typhoons to be diverted. Although the building of the reservoir cost US$2 billion, the structure has proven to save lives during a major flood in 2014.
Malaysia’s next-door neighbour, Singapore is also exemplary in the integration of nature in its urban infrastructure. The Singaporean government has introduced green infrastructure, namely the Active, Beautiful, and Clean Waters initiative, integration of canals and reservoirs into communal areas, and the construction of rooftop gardens, as part of their city's flood management strategy.[24] Singapore has also developed a water sensitive city by using water sensors in drains and canals to detect high levels of water, allowing flood response teams to be alerted and respond immediately. In conjunction with creating a water sensitive city, Singapore has initiated the construction of a 2KM long underground reservoir, similar to Japan but smaller in scale, the Stamford Diversion Canal. The latter seeks to divert stormwater through underground tunnels into the Singapore River.[25]
Indonesia has also initiated the Jakarta Urgent Flood Management Project (JUFMP), focusing on the rehabilitation of embankments and mechanical equipment part of Jakarta's flood management system. Efforts of dredging the rivers were also taken up by the city administration to prevent flooding, despite the responsibility being on the central government under the supervision of the Ciliwung-Cisadane Flood Control Office (BBWSCC).[26]
By taking the mechanisms and measures employed by these countries as examples, Malaysia may further improve our disaster management and reduce the risk of disasters by adopting a more proactive approach. The government is urged to implement more effective disaster management regulations and policies by utilizing resources available at our expense to mitigate possible disasters in the future.
Call for Action: Climate Change Needs to be Addressed
Given that climate change has led us to face unprecedented events of natural disasters in the recent decade, it is crucial for the federal and state government to view natural disasters as a persistent problem. Flood specialists and hydrologists have agreed an ideal flood management system must include both structural and non-structural measures for a perfect balance.[27] For non-structural measures, the government is encouraged to restructure the law and clarify the role of The National Disaster Management Agency in coordinating aid and responses during natural disasters with the district, state and federal authorities.[28]
Malaysia must also contrive a sustainable infrastructural plan by integrating grey infrastructure with green infrastructure and adopting the Nbs (Nature-based Solution) in the urban planning of cities with dense populations. The NbS approach can also be adopted by natural restoration and green infrastructure.[29] However, the integration of the NbS approach must come hand in hand with collaborative, participatory, and multi-stakeholder governance. This is to be observed by the federal government in providing a multi-layered structure to effectively shift to greener and sustainable planning within states.
Addressing climate change must be a collective effort of all government authorities, be it the district, state or federal government and action must be taken now, at least before the next wave of flash floods hits us.
References:
[1] ‘Special Report on Impact of Floods in Malaysia 2021’ (2022) Department of Statistics Malaysia <https://www.dosm.gov.my/v1/index.php?r=column/cthemeByCat&cat=496&bul_id=ZlkxS0JnNThiRHk0ZllZajdyVm44UT09&menu_id=WjJGK0Z5bTk1ZElVT09yUW1tRG41Zz09> accessed on 21 March 2022.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Hadi Azmi, ‘Malaysia’s floods expose depth of the government's inability to handle climate change’ (South China Morning Post, 22 Jan 2022) <https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3164287/malaysias-floods-expose-depth-governments-inability> accessed on 22 March 2022.
[4] Mangai Balasegaram, ‘Where’s the climate plan, Malaysia?’ (The Star, 9 Jan 2022) <https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/living/2022/01/09/where039s-the-climate-plan-malaysia> accessed on 22 March 2022.
[5] Ibid.
[6] ‘Sejarah Penubuhan NADMA’ <https://www.nadma.gov.my/ms/korporat/sejarah-penubuhan-nadma> accessed on 22 March 2022.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Marina Muhtar, ‘Nurul Izzah warned govt about floods in July’ (The Sun Daily, 20 Dec 2021) <https://www.thesundaily.my/style-life/going-viral/nurul-izzah-warned-govt-about-floods-in-july-EF8676886> accessed on 23 March 2022.
[10] Dr Rais Hussin & Ameen Kamal, ‘No excuse for poorly coordinated disaster management’ (The Sun Daily, 21 Dec 2021) <https://www.thesundaily.my/home/no-excuse-for-poorly-coordinated-disaster-management-XM8680462> accessed on 23 March 2022.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Sharifah Mahsinah Abdullah, ‘Nadma may be restructured to strengthen its function in states and districts’ (New Straits Times, 20 Jan 2022) <https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2022/01/765121/nadma-may-be-restructured-strengthen-its-function-states-and-districts> accessed on 23 March 2022.
[13] 'Malaysia: Disaster Management Reference Handbook (June 2019) - Malaysia' (ReliefWeb, 7 August 2019) <https://reliefweb.int/report/malaysia/malaysiadisaster-management-reference-handbook-june-2019> accessed 20 March 2022.
[14] Richard Davies, ‘Malaysia – Thousands Evacuate Floods in Kelantan and Terengganu’ (Floodlist, 28 February 2022) <https://floodlist.com/asia/malaysia-thailand-floods-february-2022> accessed 19 March 2022.
[15] Noraini Omar Chong & Khairul Hisyam Kamarudin, ‘Disaster Risk Management in Malaysia: Issues and Challenges from the Perspective of Agencies’ (2018) 16(1) Journal of the Malaysian Institute of Planners <https://planningmalaysia.org/index.php/pmj/article/view/415> accessed on 19 March 2022.
[16] Ibid.
[17] Ninth Schedule, Federal Constitution.
[18] ‘Drop Nadma head Latiff for flood failure, govt urged’ Free Malaysia Today (20 December 2021) <https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2021/12/20/drop-nadma-head-latiff-for-flood-failure-govt-urged/> accessed on 28 March 2022.
[19] 'Malaysia: Disaster Management Reference Handbook (June 2019) - Malaysia' (ReliefWeb, 7 August 2019) <https://reliefweb.int/report/malaysia/malaysiadisaster-management-reference-handbook-june-2019> accessed 20 March 2022.
[20] Dr. Rais Hussin & Ameen Kamal, ‘No excuse for poorly coordinated disaster management’ The Sun Daily (21 Dec 2021) <https://www.thesundaily.my/home/no-excuse-for-poorly-coordinated-disaster-management-XM8680462> accessed 20 March 2022.
[21] ‘Natural Disasters & Water Stress Threaten Asia-Pacific’ Vision of Humanity <https://www.visionofhumanity.org/more-natural-disasters-and-water-stress-threaten-asia-pacific/> accessed on 28 March 2022.
[22]Asit K Biswas, ‘How prepared is Singapore for the next flash flood?’ Channels News Asia (Singapore, 3 February 2021) <https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/singapore-flash-flood-rain-weather-climate-change-drain-prevent-592186> accessed on 28 March 2022.
[23] Ibid.
[24] Ibid.
[25] Jose Hong & Jolene Ang, ‘$227 million PUB works to keep Orchard Road free from floods unveiled’ The Straits Times (Singapore, 28 September 2018).
[26] ‘Jakarta river dredging opted as restoration stagnant’ The Jakarta Post (Jakarta, 18 October 2018) <https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2018/10/18/jakarta-river-dredging-opted-as-restoration-stagnant.html> accessed on 29 March 2022.
[27] Dr Rais Hussin and Ameen Kamal ‘Flood Management Masterplan Template for Malaysia’ (The Sun Daily, 4 January 2022) <https://www.thesundaily.my/opinion/flood-management-masterplan-template-for-malaysia-XF8722347> accessed on 30 March 2022.
[28] Ibid.
[29] Retno Wihanesta and others, ‘The Reasons for Jakarta’s Frequent Flooding and How Nature-based Solutions (NbS) Can Help Reduce the Risk’ (Wri Indonesia, 3 August 2021) <https://wri-indonesia.org/en/blog/reasons-jakarta%E2%80%99s-frequent-flooding-and-how-nature-based-solutions-nbs-can-help-reduce-risk> accessed on 30 March 2022.