KUALA LUMPUR: The early flood warning system managed by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) is still effective in identifying potential flood events, says Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
The Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister said this was reflected in MetMalaysia’s proactive approach, which issued warnings seven days prior to the heavy rain episode in the east coast.
“MetMalaysia, in its statement on Nov 19, forecast strong monsoon surge that could result in heavy rain in the east coast.
“While there were warnings of heavy rainfall in the area, we did not anticipate it to be as heavy as the one in 2014,” he said in his winding-up speech on the debate on Budget 2025 at the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Dec 2).
On the dissemination of weather forecast information, Nik Nazmi said MetMalaysia has been instructed to ensure the information reaches the public including the younger generation.
“MetMalaysia has a substantial following on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube. However, given that many young people are active on TikTok, they cannot simply replicate the same messaging used for Facebook or Instagram.
“As such, during my meeting with MetMalaysia this (Monday) morning, I emphasised the need for better strategies in explaining and communicating weather updates to the public,” he added.
He added that MetMalaysia also works directly with the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) by providing advice and insights in disaster management efforts.
He also said MetMalaysia is a member of the National Dry and Hot Weather Committee, offering its expertise when the country faces hot and dry weather conditions.
Nik Nazmi, however, said that flood mitigation projects involving MetMalaysia do not include on the ground infrastructure construction projects undertaken by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage, which is supervised by the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry.
Among the initiatives under MetMalaysia’s purview is the enhancement of numerical weather prediction models through high-performance computing systems.
“This will enable MetMalaysia to predict weather-related disaster risks up to 14 days in advance, compared to the current seven days.
“It is one of the key inputs for the national flood forecasting model developed by the National Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre, which also includes early warning systems for other disasters such as flash floods, landslides, and heatwaves.
“The development of this system is critical and aligns with the primary objectives of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy 2030.
“It includes creating radar observation networks in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu for more precise and comprehensive weather monitoring,” added Nik Nazmi.
