In a statement today, Zahid said this should not have been the case when the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) had a comprehensive guideline for floods in place since 2014.

He also called for a special Dewan Rakyat sitting to discuss the ongoing floods to allow MPs to convey the people’s concerns and give suggestions that could help the government during this crisis.

“Umno also hopes that the government will consider the people’s request for a final one-off withdrawal of RM10,000 from their Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) accounts.

“The people are really struggling now due to the Covid-19 pandemic and also the flood crisis. This is also in line with the stand taken by the Umno Supreme Council, which met on Aug 27,” he said.

The Bagan Datuk MP conveyed his condolences to the families who lost loved ones in the floods, pointing out that the death toll was higher than the 30 from the floods which hit the country in 1971 and 21 in 2014. The police today reported that a total of 54 people died from the recent floods, while two people are still missing.

While thanking the government for the direct financial aid of up to RM61,000 for affected families, he urged that the assistance be handed out quickly to flood victims.