VZCZCXRO1164
RR RUEHAST RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHNH RUEHPB RUEHPOD
RUEHTM
DE RUEHKL #0802/01 2560146
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 120146Z SEP 08
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1632
INFO RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHC/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHINGTON DC
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 000802 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV PGOV MY
SUBJECT: Flooding in Northern Peninsular Malaysia Highlights 
Underlying Political Tensions 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Extensive rains over the last week have triggered 
flooding in northern peninsular Malaysia following heavy downpour in 
the states of Kedah and Penang. According to media and Malaysian 
government reports, the floods have affected more than 10,000 
people, including forced evacuations for more than 1800 residents, 
one fatality and road closings due to landslides. The Chief 
Ministers of Kedah and Penang, both opposition-held states, took 
this opportunity to appeal to the federal government to expedite 
completion of at least four major flood mitigation projects, which 
it had put on hold following opposition victories in the March 8 
elections in these two states. The flooding in Kedah and Penang also 
highlights how the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) have contributed to 
the disaster by playing politics with key, previously approved 
infrastructure projects. Consequently, the opposition-controlled 
states hope to force the government to resume spending or suffer 
increased voter resentment. END SUMMARY. 
 
Tens of Thousands Affected by Floods 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶2. (U) Since September 6, the northern Malaysian states of Penang 
and Kedah, both under control of the opposition People's Alliance 
(Pakatan), have been battered by a week's worth of heavy rains, the 
worst in 14 years. The severe rains have affected ten thousand 
residents and lead to the evacuations of over 1800 people in both 
states. Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's political secretary Ng 
Wei Aik announced an order on September 7 for several hundred 
residents to evacuate their residences in the state capital of 
Georgetown. Following heavy rainfall over the weekend, the Kedah 
state government evacuated 1565 residents to five relief centers, 
while the Penang state government relocated 300 victims to four 
flood evacuation centers. A majority of Penang victims were allowed 
to return to their homes a day later. However, more than 1,114 Kedah 
residents from ten villages still remain at five relief centers. 
 
Incomplete Mitigation Projects Worsen Flooding 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶3. (U) On September 9, Kedah Chief Minister Azizan Abdul Razak and 
Penang Chief Minister Lim appealed to federal authorities to 
complete long-standing flood mitigation projects and to approve at 
least four pending projects to prevent a repeat of the region's 
massive floods. Kedah Chief Minister Azizan believed that the 
state's incomplete flood mitigation projects combined with the 
region's shallow rivers contributed to flooding in parts of Kedah. 
He specifically noted that the Sungai Muda project in Kuala Muda was 
initiated during the Eighth Malaysia Plan and had yet to be 
completed. Chief Minister Azizan argued that Kedah should be given 
priority for flood mitigation projects as the state represents 
Malaysia's "rice bowl" and provides much of the country's food 
security needs. He also urged that other infrastructure projects 
under the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER), which includes 
drainage system improvements, be expedited. Meanwhile, Penang Chief 
Minister Lim reportedly sent a letter to Prime Minister Abdullah 
Ahmad Badawi on September 10 to request a total of RM970 million 
(USD28.5 million) for flood mitigation projects in the state. CM Lim 
stated he would personally meet with PM Abdullah to ask that the 
funds be expedited. The requested amount is RM370 million (USD10.8 
million) beyond what the federal government allocated for flood 
mitigation under the Ninth Malaysian Plan. Such projects would 
include widening rivers, building retention ponds and pump houses as 
well as upgrading existing drainage systems. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Shortly after the Kedah and Penang Chief Ministers' 
criticisms of the federal government, Deputy Prime Minister Najib 
urged all BN parliamentarians and assemblymen to be among the first 
to visit disaster areas. Deputy PM Najib exhorted, "We are of the 
view that this gesture is the right and most appropriate thing to do 
as community leaders as it can help foster a closer relationship 
between leaders and the people." He added that traditionally all BN 
representatives have made it a principle to visit flood and fire 
victims. Najib's comments followed remarks by Selangor Chief 
Minister Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, from the Pakatan opposition 
alliance, that it would be a waste of time and money for him to 
visit victims of a recent flood in Klang, an area 32km (approx. 20 
miles) from Kuala Lumpur, if he had no resources to bring to the 
victims. BN-influenced media portrayed Khalid's words as 
insensitive. In a September 8 meeting with the Ambassador, Khalid 
said he was examining ways to mobilize community groups, NGOs and 
the private sector to respond to future natural disasters. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Kedah and Penang state governments for the most part 
 
KUALA LUMP 00000802  002 OF 002 
 
 
quickly provided food and shelter to flood victims through their 
state Welfare Departments. The flood damage in key opposition-held 
states such as Penang and Kedah also has become an issue in the 
ongoing contentious relations and power struggles between the ruling 
BN in the federal government and opposition party leaders at the 
state level. Most prominently, Penang and Kedah government officials 
used the disaster to highlight delays in the completion of and 
funding for key flood mitigation projects in northern peninsular 
Malaysia. Meanwhile, calls by the federal government to BN 
legislators to demonstrate their empathy for flood victims by 
visiting disaster areas ring empty in the face of the ruling BN 
coalition's effort to penalize opposition controlled states by 
putting holds on funding for key infrastructure projects that could 
have helped mitigate the impact of the disaster. 
 
KEITH