KUALA LUMPUR: A state of emergency cannot be declared without studying the risks posed to people as it is governed by a different law from the normal law, says Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim.
The socio-cultural affairs adviser to the government said with implementation of the emergency law, the public would not be free to move about, thus affecting their usual daily activities.
“When a state of emergency is declared, people simply cannot go out of their house any time they like, while there are conditions to be based on in declaring a state of emergency.
“However, in this current flood situation, the public can still see boats being used to reach the affected locations and aid delivered to the flood victims,” he said this in a Nasionalfm radio programme here yesterday.
Recently, DAP lawmaker Tony Pua called for a state of emergency be declared if necessary to tackle the floods.
Rais, who has a legal background, said in handling the current flood situation in the affected states, the state governments should be taking the initiatives and should have acted early as this occurred in areas under their administration.
“What happened (over the flood situation) was that they went straight to the prime minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak), as though he is taking care of the cosmic paths of the universe. This is unfair,” he said.
Rais said any concerned state government should work cordially with the federal government and table the problems faced by it for assistance, and not blame the prime minister straight away.
Rais also hit out at certain state government leaders who ignored the provisions of the Federal Constitution on the state governments’ functions and joint responsibilities with the federal government. — Bernama