RANTAU PANJANG: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi wants holistic cooperation between the Federal and state governments to resolve the perennial flood issue, by casting aside any political differences.
As such, he expressed hope that Kelantan Federal Action Council chairman Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim, and Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob, can sit together and discuss ways to best resolve the issue.
Zahid said the Federal government wants to see a long-term solution to resolve the problem.
“We are grateful at being able to foster close relations between Federal and state. While floods are disasters determined by God, we nevertheless must have long-term plans to reduce the severity of the floods in the east coast and other states.
“Preserve the pillars of nature (such as) forests, hills, rivers and the sea,” he said in his speech at SK Rantau Panjang 2, here today.
He said that among the solutions that the Federal government has agreed upon today is to allocate eight high-tech lorries which will be used during the rescue efforts.
“Four lorries will be given to Terengganu while the rest will be allocated for Kelantan,” he said.
Zahid, who is also Home Minister, spent more than an hour visiting flood victims at the school that has been converted into a relief centre since Jan 1.
He was accompanied by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim, as well as International, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed.
A total of 1,461 victims from 633 families are currently seeking shelter at centre.