SHAH ALAM - Sepang Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidate Datuk Seri Rina Harun expresses her concerns about the overlap between polling stations for the 15th General Election (GE15) and flood relief shelters (PPS).
"From a total of 6,010 PPS, 2,100, which is 35 per cent overlapped between flood relief shelters and polling stations.
"This needs to be noted because it is not a small amount like five or 10 per cent but 35 per cent.
"So, if floods were to happen simultaneously (during polling day), which needs to be prioritised? Polling station? Or temporary flood relief centres?" she told Sinar Daily.
Her comment came after she was asked to respond if there was a possibility that GE15 would be postponed due to floods which had started to occur nationwide and the constant weather warnings.
She said she had spoken out on this issue, but a decision had been made by the caretaker government.
"This is why we, the 12 ministers from Perikatan Nasional, wrote the letter (to oppose the dissolution of Parliament during monsoon season).
"It is why we stated that the prediction was not made by us but a projection by the Meteorology Department which forecasted a huge flood would occur.
"We, as the minister, take care of the people’s well being.
"So now we are obliged to take other initiatives to oversee these overlapping locations, so there should be centres acting as temporary flood relief shelters.
"I leave that to those who dissolved the Parliament. We have to see how the situation is at that moment.
"But I suddenly remember that someone mentioned they would swim in the flood during election day. Who was that? I can’t remember which party said that," she said sarcastically.