Shafie Afdal…people walking through floodwaters without help should not happen in our country.
KOTA KINABALU : – Warisan President, Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal has questioned the government’s decision to spend millions on events and festivals while people in disaster-hit areas struggle to survive without proper help.
“Prices of goods may be controlled, but people’s ability to buy things is a big problem. You spend RM30, but it’s not enough to fill your basket. People are struggling,” he said when speaking to reporters during a Chinese New Year walkabout in Lido this morning.
He criticised the government for spending sometimes between RM1 to RM2 million on lavish celebrations such as in Keningau recently while ignoring those affected by floods in places like Kota Marudu and Pitas.
“When floods hit, people are walking in water with no help. Why can’t the government use that money to buy speedboats to save lives instead of spending on festivals?” he asked.
He called for a proper disaster response team to act quickly when floods or fires occur.
“Flood mitigation projects take too long to complete. We need solutions now for areas like Kota Marudu, which face flooding again and again,” he said.
He promised to bring this issue up in Parliament, urging the government to prioritise disaster management over unnecessary spending.
“Seeing people in Pitas walking through floodwaters without help should not happen in our country. We need to act before disasters happen, not after,” he said.
