In light of the poor response to the intense floods currently ravaging several states in Peninsula Malaysia, Gabungan Darurat Iklim Malaysia (GDIMY) demands that federal and state governments prioritise Climate Resilience to address the issue of the extreme climate events in our country IMMEDIATELY with CONCRETE PEOPLE-CENTRED AND NOT FALSE SOLUTIONS.
The latest IPCC report states that climate change is “widespread, rapid and intensifying” and this is exactly what we are seeing playing out in Malaysia today. However, we are hopelessly unprepared. Not properly protecting our people from the full impacts of disasters is a violation of their rights to life, health, food, water, shelter, a safe and healthy environment, and livelihood.
Besides the fall out from Typhoon Rai, other causes that have exacerbated the floods in the country are:
- Continual loss of rainfall catchment areas due to deforestation by logging (both legal and illegal)
- De-gazettement of forest reserves and conversion to plantation, mining or mixed development
- Poorly planned development with no proper impact/risk assessments near forest reserves causing forest fragmentation
- Cities that have been built with low permeability to absorb rainfall
- Changes in river management systems from unchecked canalisation and loss of buffer zones and setback lines due to developmental pressure.
1. We DEMAND that the above activities be put to an immediate halt.
2. We DEMAND that the Malaysian government declare this disaster as a “National Disaster” and authorise the formation of a Special Commission to formally investigate this disaster and the efficacy of the response actions and to recommend reparation/compensation to those negatively impacted by any negligence on the part of the government. The independent members of this Special Commission must comprise independent scientists and local experts on flood-related issues, representatives of the affected communities, NGOs, Disaster Risk Reduction Management experts, health professionals, and town planning and sustainability experts. The investigation findings must be read out and debated in Parliament as soon as possible in 2022, and the publication made accessible to the public.
3. We DEMAND that federal and state governments expedite the development of a robust National Adaptation Plan (NAP) with a focus on Resilience with clear targets, future scenario planning, and an implementation roadmap that covers all possible (not only probable) climate impacts holistically. All consultation processes with local governments and non-state stakeholders must be transparent, meaningful and inclusive to ensure the building of community resilience components which include rural and urban settlement and landscape design, social capital, ecosystem capital, rural and urban technological capital, and adaptive capacity (which incorporates DRRM).
4. We DEMAND that the federal government expedite a National Disaster Risk Reduction Plan which includes instituting nationwide cross-sectoral training in Community-based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM).
5. We DEMAND the setting up of an independent multi-stakeholder Community Resilience Unit to oversee a nationwide programme to build community resilience in all factors beyond just disaster risk management.
We remain deeply saddened and disappointed by the slow and ineffectual response, interagency blaming and lack of coordination across government agencies in dealing with the current flood crisis. We are also very discouraged that the government has not acknowledged the climate crisis as the EMERGENCY that it is. The rakyat is awake and ready for a just transition, but are our leaders?
For any clarification, please contact Dr Darren Ong at darren@gdimy.org or info@gdimy.org
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Endorsements (Groups)
- Greenpeace Malaysia
- Malaysian Progressives in Australia (MPOZ)
- Persatuan Kesedaran dan Keadilan Iklim Malaysia (Klima Action Malaysia –
KAMY) - Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam (pekamalaysia.org )
- Parti Sosialis Malaysia
- Agora Society Malaysia
- AJ Rimba Collective
- Aliran
- Alliance Of River Three
- Beach Cleanup
- Beach Cleanup Kedah
- Buku Jalanan Chow Kit
- CERAH – Anti Haze Action
- Dapur Jalanan Kuala Lumpur
- Disaster Management Basilica of St Anne
- Enlight Malaysia
- Gibbon Conservation Society
- IMAN Research
- Jaringan EkologI dan Iklim (JEDI)
- KotaKita
- Liga Rakyat Demokratik
- MyHutan
- National Association of Apex Clubs of Malaysia
- Pergerakan Tenaga Akademik Malaysia (GERAK)
- Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam – KUASA
- Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor
- ReformARTsi
- Say No To PJD Link
- Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia (SABM)
- SIUMAN (Rangkaian Solidariti Demokratik Pesakit Mental)
- Tindak Malaysia
- Undi Sabah
- Waroeng Baru
- Youth Build Nation (YBN)
- Youths United for Earth (YUFE)
- Youths.my
Endorsements (Individuals)
- Alia
- Alice Tan
- Alyaa ezzati binti muhammad hakim see
- Animah Kosai
- Anwar Fazal
- Beverly Joeman
- Billie Tan
- Chee Heng Leng
- Cheong Wai Quan
- Cherlanne Patrick
- Clare Westwood
- Dato’ Dr Amar-Singh HSS
- Dominic Wong
- Fabian Dicom
- Firdaus nisha m faizal
- Gomathi Sollamuthu
- John Ku kean heng
- Joshua Arvind
- June Tan
- Ken
- Kenn Lo
- Lee Ren Xin
- Liyana Amira Salleh
- Mah Hui Lim
- Mark Teh
- Mary Bharathy
- Mathini Arveena Ravee
- Mazni Ibrahim
- Muhammad Ariff bin Mohammad Nizam
- Mullaishselvi
- Nicole Fong
- Nurjannah Ahmat
- Nurul Fitrah Marican
- Pireya Tharaseni Arulu
- Quah Gek Choo
- Serena Josrin
- Sharifah Sofia
- Shereen Ong
- Siti Rahayu Baharin
- SriGanesh Sithantaran
- Theva Kughan
- Vernon Christopher Fernandez
- Wan Manan
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