Jumbangla Desk: More than 37,000 people have been affected by floods in six states of Malaysia due to continuous heavy rains this week, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday.
Anwar told Parliament that 322 temporary shelters (PPS) have been opened for victims in the states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Perlis, Johor and Perak.
The country's state news agency Bernama said the northeastern state of Kelantan, which borders Thailand, was the worst affected by the floods.
Anwar Ibrahim said that 30,582 people from 9,223 families in Kelantan were affected by the disaster.
Flooding is a common occurrence along Malaysia's east coast during the annual monsoon season from October to March. Thousands of people are displaced at this time every year.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department issued a 'red alert' for continuous heavy rain in the states of Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu on Wednesday. This is a dangerous rainfall warning and is forecast to continue until Friday.
Prime Minister Anwar said that the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) has been directed to ensure that all agencies at the central and state levels actively work to ensure the safety of flood victims. Special emphasis has been laid on rescue operations and ensuring public safety throughout the monsoon season.
The ongoing flood situation in Kelantan and Terengganu is feared to exceed the worst floods of 2014. Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced the forecast, which is based on data from the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).
Zahid Hamidi said in a press conference after an emergency meeting on flood disaster management on Thursday that this year's floods could be worse than 2014.
He said spring tides will hit the east coast next week, which will worsen the flooding situation. Inundation may increase as river water cannot mix with the sea.
Zahid Hamidi also said that although there were no floods in Pahang and Johor at the initial stage, we fear that these states will also be affected by heavy rains in early December.
He explained that water from the Terengganu River would flow into Pahang and the water from the Pahang River would flow into the Johor and cause flooding. But our current priority is Kelantan and Terengganu.
