SHAH ALAM -- All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia On Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDG) have call upon Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate the nation's overall response to the devastating floods in recent weeks.
The recommendation made by APPGM-SDG was part of 11 proposals that they have suggested for Ismail Sabri and his Cabinet to consider, as means to further prepare the nation to face potential disasters brought by climate change.
This include an RCI to investigate the management, readiness, response and communication between Federal, state and local authorities in search and rescue matters.
In a statement yesterday, APPGM-SDG had also laid out three main reasons that contributed to the massive floods that hit several states in recent week, which is -- climate change, readiness and response to the disaster and overall structural planning.
Apart from the RCI mentioned above, these are the other 10 recommendations made by APPGM-SDG.
1. Establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry to conduct an in depth investigation on localised factors that contribute to the risk of flooding on places affected by the flood.
2. To re-evaluate the land use planning including the State Structure Plan and The Local District Plan and the degazettement process of the forest reserve in Malaysia. The National Forestry Act 1984 must be reviewed to include public participation in all states.
3. To execute the National Adaptation Plan (myNAP) that have been in planning since 2015 which includes the long term scenario planning, risk based planning and equip with clear responses and objectives.
4. To strengthen and make used on "Nature-based Solutions" in environmental risk management and climate adaptation.
5. To reevaluate and stop any development in environmentally sensitive and vulnerable locations especially in highly populated areas.
6.To establish programs nationwide to transform urban areas for a more holistic and integrated water management similar to the "Sponge City" concept that can handle issues of flash flood, the lack of water supply, urban heat island, air quality and the deterioration of the ecosystem.
7. To establish a legal working structure that mandated the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) on all policy, plans and programs to inculcate a mitigation plan based on climate adaptation at all level of decision making.
8.To establish Community-based Disaster Risk Management (CBDRM) nationwide to better equip the people for better disaster response in the future.
9. To establish a mechanism to build back better in affected areas in terms of infrastructure repair, the revitalization of livelihood, insurance for loss and damages, health, psychosocial services and so on.
10. To establish a Climate Change Commission to monitor matters on climate adaptation and disaster risk management.