–Jan. 4 The Straits Times update in second paragraph
Dec. 27-Jan. 5, 2021 — About 50 people have lost their lives.
Malaysians suffered a second wave of flooding as thousands of evacuations were made during the past week. See this and an earlier report from The Straits Times.
Malaysia is developing carbon markets as part of its respose to global climate change. See this report from earlier in the month, from The Edge Markets:
KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 1): Carbon trading at the domestic level will be implemented in phases beginning from the end of next year, said Environment and Water Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.
He said the Ministry of Finance (MoF) is currently working with the Ministry of Environment and Water (KASA) and Bursa Malaysia in an effort to get buy-ins from the state governments as well as attract investments from potential carbon credit buyers.
“The government is also examining the market design framework, registration matters and working with parties that develop international standards,” he told the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (Dec 1).
The minister and family members then caught Covid, after earlier blaming citizens for not paying enough attention to weather forecasts, a comment that attracted criticism on social media for victim blaming.
CarrZee comment: Climate politics are fraught enough. Be humble. Put yourself in other people’s shoes / sandals. Don’t immediately blame victims (even if there’s some truth in the message about people needing to take more heed of weather forecasts.)
The minister could have said something like: “We all need to pay more attention to weather foreasts and flood-warning messages. We will try to improve government promotion / warnings ahead of the next climate event.” (I’ve not checked everything he said, by the way, so he may be ahead of me.)
Malaysia will provide RM1.4 billion (US$334.93 million) in cash aid and other forms of relief for those devastated by severe floods this month, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said, according to this earlier report on CNA, the Singapore state news station.
(Adds cash aid, Jan. 4 update)