Malaysia (Commonwealth Union)_ In the wake of torrential rain during the annual monsoon season, six Malaysian states were inundated recently, compelling almost 27,000 individuals to seek refuge in relief centers. The states along the east coast suffered the most severe impact from the deluge. Politician Kelantan Menteri Besar Nassuruddin Daud’s house was also submerged as the water level surged rapidly around his residence in Kampung Meranti on the outskirts of the state capital, Kota Bharu.
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Images on his social media depicted knee-deep brown water inundating the road in his village. “The water level rose quite rapidly… Praise God, this morning I was still able to carry out my official duties by going to the office to lead the executive council meeting,” he shared on Facebook on December 27. Riverbanks burst due to the swiftly rising waters in parts of the six states, including Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor, Selangor, and Sabah. Kelantan and Terengganu, situated on Malaysia’s east coast facing the South China Sea, bore the brunt, accounting for over 95 percent of the evacuees. In Terengganu, 13 rivers in six districts crossed the danger level on December 26 after days of continuous rainfall.
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Social media posts revealed main roads in Terengganu rendered impassable to traffic with submerged vehicles. In Kelantan, rising water levels and strong currents breached a wall at a flood mitigation project at Sungai Golok, leading to flooding in nearby Pasir Mas. Additionally, the Department of Social Welfare reported 20,216 evacuees in Kelantan, sheltered in 66 temporary relief centers, an increase from 15,145 on December 26. In Terengganu, 6,175 evacuees were sheltered at 63 centers, while 119 people in Pahang were compelled to evacuate.
Temporary shelters, predominantly public town halls and schools on higher ground, are generally equipped with flood-relief gear, such as tents for housing families, utensils, raw food for mass cooking, and rescue boats. Additionally, volunteers from the Ajil Silaturrahim non-governmental organization (NGO) in Terengganu came forward for relief activities and utilized excavators to move staff and patients to boats, demonstrating swift action in the face of adversity. Further, a total of 647 policemen, 154 volunteers from the Malaysia Volunteers Corps, 35 boats, 29 lorries, and 56 four-wheel-drive vehicles have been deployed to flood-affected areas.
Amid the rising Covid-19 cases in Malaysia, health department officials and medical staff have been dispatched to flood evacuation centers for Covid-19 screenings. Terengganu’s deputy police chief emphasized the need for caution and preventive measures, urging parents to keep children away from floodwaters and advising travelers during the holiday season to secure electrical appliances on higher ground in anticipation of floods. The meteorological department highlighted that the country is currently in the midst of the north-east monsoon season, typically lasting from October to March.
